12: Breaking Out the Brittles in Visual Studio .NET

Drawer QR Code in Visual Studio .NET 12: Breaking Out the Brittles

peanuts pop, which means they re ready), remove the mixture from the heat, and stir in the salt, remaining butter, and baking soda; stir hard to mix The batch immediately begins to expand, but stirring keeps it at bay until you stop Stir about 25 to 30 seconds to mix well

while it s still pretty hot, use your gloved hands to stretch it If you want to make a thinner brittle, use two buttered forks to stretch the mixture If you desire a thicker brittle, don t stretch it Let the brittle cool to room temperature for about 30 to 35 minutes

into about 3- to 4-inch pieces, and store in an airtight container or enclose in freezer bags and seal This prevents sticking

Vary It! Although many experts disagree about the best method for brittles, you can substitute pecans in this recipe and produce an excellent brittle (I provide a separate pecan brittle recipe later in this chapter)

Per serving: Calories 822 (From Fat 352); Fat 0g (Saturated 39g); Cholesterol 41mg; Sodium 675mg; Carbohydrate 116g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 13g

Though one might assume that peanuts have always been in the United States, the fact is that peanuts originated in South America thousands of years ago Spanish traders discovered peanuts in the New World and carried them back to Europe on their ships The Spanish eventually carried the peanuts to Africa, where they traded them When African slaves were brought to America, the peanuts were brought along and eventually were grown in America Peanuts, which are legumes, not nuts, grow best in sandy soil, so the Southern US became fertile ground for cultivation, especially after the boll weevil destroyed a lot of the cotton crop in the 20th century The Southern US still leads the country in peanut production; most of peanuts are used to manufacture peanut butter, and peanuts remain a great source of protein in the diet (including a very delicious part of many candies) Although the United States is a big producer of this wonderful legume, India leads the world in peanut production, producing about 50 percent of the world s peanuts

Pecan brittle reminds me a little of a hard praline (see 11 for more about pralines) You cook the pecan s rich flavor into a crispy brittle, and the effect is quite nice especially if you like pecans This recipe (shown in the color section) really delivers a great taste, but I think that it also produces one of the best aromas of any candy Preparation time: 35 minutes plus 30 to 35 minutes to cool Yield: About 3 pounds (serves 8)

3 cups granulated sugar 3 cups pecan halves, chopped into medium pieces (slightly larger than whole coffee beans)

1 Use 1 4 cup of butter to coat two cookie sheets and set aside 2 Combine the sugar, pecans, corn syrup, and water in a heavy 5-quart saucepan and

cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring with a metal spoon with a plastic handle until the mixture comes to a boil (about 15 to 16 minutes) Place a cover on the pan for about 1 minute to allow the sugar crystals on the inside walls of the pan to dissolve

the tip of the thermometer to touch the bottom of the pan Cook the ingredients over high heat, stirring constantly until the temperature reaches 295 degrees Remove the pan from the heat Add the baking soda, salt, and remaining butter; stir in to blend well

forks or simply allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for 30 to 35 minutes When the batch cools, break it into medium pieces by hand, place it in freezer bags, and seal to keep it from getting sticky

Tip: Medium pieces of pecans are better in brittle than pecan halves because the pieces spread through the batch better than the halves, making a prettier brittle Halves are too large, and small pieces are too small

Per serving: Calories 894 (From Fat 416); Fat 46g (Saturated 13g); Cholesterol 46mg; Sodium 840mg; Carbohydrate 128g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 4g