Monday, November 28, 2011

The Secret Recipe Club - Chinese 5 Spice Peanut Brittle

It's The Secret Recipe Club time again!!  This month we got a great blog Tami's Kitchen Table Talk.....this was really nice and exciting since Tami is also our Group D Hostess!  As I looked through her blog I found so many different recipes that I wanted to make but when I saw this recipe for Chinese 5 Spice Peanut Brittle I knew I HAD to make it.  Nanci and I have been talking about finding a good recipe for peanut brittle so it was a no brainer when I came across Tami's recipe.  I really love addition of Chinese 5 Spice into the peanut brittle.  Chinese 5 Spice is a combination of Szechuan peppercorns, Star Anise, Fennel, Cinnamon and Cloves. I'm a huge fan of Sweet and Savory so I couldn't wait to try it.  Also this brittle is made solely in the microwave, what could be easier than that?  I was right, it was easy and super delicious.  Everyone who tried it LOVED it.  I'm very excited to find this recipe and I'm already trying to concoct other ways to make "brittle" using this method.  Maybe pistachio brittle or curried almond brittle the combinations are endless.  Thank you Tami for letting us make something from your blog, it was a lot of fun and very yummy!

Ingredients:

½ C. light corn syrup
1 C. white sugar
1 C. dry roasted peanuts
¾ tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp baking soda

Preparation:

Make sure to measure all ingredients carefully. Very light grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Do not be tempted to oil the pan with a heavy hand because that will result in oily brittle.  I used the Reynolds Wrap Release Foil and it worked perfectly.  In a large glass bowl that will fit into the microwave, stir together the corn syrup, sugar, peanuts and 5 spice powder until thoroughly mixed together.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes.  Stir in the butter and microwave for an additional 30 seconds.  Remove from microwave and gently stir in baking soda until the mixture is light and foamy.  Now you need to work quickly!!  Using a rubber spatula that has been sprayed with cooking spray, scrape the mixture out onto the greased baking sheet. Smooth out to a thin layer and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.  Once cool, break the brittle into pieces and store in a well-sealed container.

Here's a variation we made with cashews and pistachios!  So delicious


18 comments:

  1. I'm thrilled that you liked this recipe! It's different, isn't it? I liked it a lot. I love your combo of pistachios and cashews! YUM!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just happen to have Chinese 5 Spice in the cupboard!! And just like Tami, I love the pistachios and cashews combo! Mmmmmm!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tami I had to make more the following day because everyone kept "tasting" it and I didn't have enough to serve as one of the desserts for Thanksgiving. LOL We all LOVED the 5 spice kick....do fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Interesting! My mom *loves* peanuts and chinese 5 spice, so I'm sending this recipe along to her! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow! This looks super delicious! I loved your oatmeal cookies! Thanks for a super recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. The spice combination sounds really interesting! I think that peanut brittle with a "kick" would be amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Peanut brittle with a kick sounds super intriguing to me. It is always great when a recipe turns out so well that everyone keeps eating it!!! These look delicious!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is such a great substitute to chocolate bark. I have to give this a try soon.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That would make a great gift for Christmas. Came here through the SRC and so pleased to find you!
    Karen @ Lavender and Lovage

    ReplyDelete
  10. I don't know how I missed the secret recipe club Monday,however I'm glad I saw it tonight. I have never heard of Chinese 5 spice powder but this candy recipe sounds interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Chinese 5 spice powder is one of my favorite spices. I even sneak it into my Jamba Juice smoothies. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  12. We LOVE peanut brittle at our house and my husband is the brittle maker. I will have to do a lot of sweet-talkin' but I'll bet I can talk him in to making this one. Can't wait to taste it! Great SRC pick!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh yum! The Brittle looks amazing! I like the different twist on it then traditional brittle.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just made this and it is amazing. I am going to the store in the AM for more fixins' so I can make more for gifts. Thank you for a delicious twist on a Christmas favorite! Just an aside, I have 4 sisters!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi I love the taste of the brittle and have made many batches. I have increased the cooking time to 9 minutes but have not got a batch that came out crisp and hard. The batches continue to be very chewy and they sticks to everything. I would love some ideas on how to make it a "brittle" and not a taffy. Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hmmm I wonder what the problem is? Maybe you need to cook it a shorter time not longer? 6 minutes worked perfectly for me everyte and gave me super hard brittle. Are you letting it cool completely before you try to handle it? It needs to cool spread out on a cookie sheet for at least 1 hour before you handle it. Also don't refrigerate it. Let it sit out in the open air to cool.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Peanut brittle recipes are simple candies made primarily of sugar and nuts, and it was one of the earliest candies ever formulated. Ancient brittles likely originated in the Middle East and were composed of honey and sesame seeds.

    ReplyDelete

Everyday Sisters LOVES hearing from you, please leave a comment.