Oh, hey there! Did the holidays sneak up on you like they did on me? While I had intended to bring you another post on my trip to the Strasbourg Christmas markets, I ended up scrambling to finish my holiday baking! Which made me think that I'm probably not the only one short on time this year!
And my guess is that you're also hitting the road to visit family and friends and need to arrive with treats in hand. But who’s got time to bake? Well, if you’re looking for a goodie that travels easy and won’t take the whole day to make, how about microwave peanut brittle?
You’re joking right? Nope. Microwave. Peanut. Brittle. It only takes about 10 minutes to prep, cook and pour. I found this recipe in a really old Good Housekeeping magazine and I’ve made it without fail ever since. It’s perfect when you need something at the spur of the moment!
The original recipe called for either cashew or pecans, and the recipe is certainly delish with those nuts, or any other nut that strikes your fancy! I started using cocktail peanuts, and it stuck! So here’s my tried and true peanut brittle recipe! Once you make it, it’ll be your “go to” last minute recipe, but people will just think you’re a culinary genius!
A bit of advice before you give it a go.
Keep an eye on it throughout the cooking process the first few times you make it. Every microwave is slightly different and you don’t want to burn the brittle. That burning sugar smell lingers forever...and cleaning that up, well, it’s a nightmare.
You’ll also have to move quickly to get the mixture onto the baking pan, but make sure you don't burn yourself. Nothing worse that a melted sugar burn.
The best part about this recipe (besides the eatin’), is the clean up. Once you’re done, let the glass pot or glass bowl cool, then put it in the sink and fill it with warm water. Any residual, stuck on goo will dissolve and voila! Super easy to clean after that!
Peanut Brittle
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon margarine or butter
½ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups cocktail peanuts (but any nuts will do)
1 teaspoon baking soda
In a greased 2 quart glass bowl, cook sugar, corn syrup and salt in microwave on high 2-3 minutes until boiling. Cook an additional 4 minutes. Stir in nuts, butter, vanilla, cinnamon. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in baking soda until light and foamy. Quickly pour onto greased cookie sheet. (I use a quarter sheet baking pan with edges). Spread. I lay a piece of parchment paper sprayed with some spray cooking oil on the brittle-facing side, then press down on the brittle to even it out with either a rolling pin, or with my hands (it's really hot so use a pot holder, please).
Cool. Break into pieces. Makes 1 pound. Store in airtight container.
I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit over the years to my liking, but I haven’t changed it much since I first came across it. I hope you enjoy as much as we do! Happy microwaving!
Do you have a last minute “go to” recipe that travels easy and saves the day? Let me know about it on Facebook or in Traveleidoscope's comment section!
Happy Holidays everyone!
