Corn Brittle Food

THE BEST PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease with nonstick cooking spray.
• Stir together the sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy/deep-fry thermometer. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then continue to boil until it's golden brown and it reaches 340 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
• Working quickly, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and baking soda until smooth (it will foam and bubble up). Stir in the peanuts until evenly distributed amongst the sugar mixture.
• Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and quickly smooth with a rubber spatula into a thin and even layer. Let harden uncovered at room temperature until cooled completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Butter a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Stir together sugar, 1/2 cup water, and the salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, without stirring, until sugar begins to melt and turn golden, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has melted and mixture turns golden amber, about 10 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat. Stir in peanuts. Immediately pour peanut mixture onto buttered baking sheet. Quickly spread mixture to 1/2 inch thick using an oiled metal spatula. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes. Break brittle into pieces. Brittle can be stored in an airtight container, up to 2 weeks.

OLD-FASHIONED PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Butter a large baking pan; set aside. Combine peanuts, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Insert a candy thermometer. Continue boiling, without stirring, until temperature registers 295 degrees, about 6 minutes. When sugar begins to brown, stir nuts gently to ensure even cooking. Remove saucepan from heat, and stir in the butter and baking soda; the mixture will begin to foam up, so mix quickly. Pour onto the prepared baking pan.
• As soon as candy is cool enough to handle, use your fingers to stretch the brittle as thinly as possible over the baking pan. Allow the brittle to cool completely, about 45 minutes, then break into bite-size pieces.

FRAGRANT INDIAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Lightly oil 2 (16- by 12-inch) sheets of parchment paper with vegetable oil and put 1 sheet, oiled side up, on a heatproof work surface.
• Crush cardamom pods with side of a large heavy knife and scrape out seeds, discarding pods. Coarsely crush seeds with mortar and pestle or side of heavy knife.
• Bring sugar, honey, corn syrup, water, crushed cardamom seeds, and salt to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, then boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 350°F on thermometer, about 9 minutes.
• Add nuts and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture returns to a boil, about 1 minute. Carefully pour hot caramel mixture onto parchment on work surface (use caution when pouring hot liquids) and carefully cover with remaining sheet of parchment, oiled side down. Immediately roll out mixture between parchment sheets, pressing firmly with a large wooden rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick (use caution; mixture will still be hot). If brittle hardens before it is thin enough, transfer to a large baking sheet (still between parchment sheets) and warm brittle in oven 5 minutes to soften, then continue rolling to 1/4 inch thick.
• Cool brittle until firm enough to hold its shape but still pliable, 2 to 5 minutes, then remove top sheet of parchment. Lightly oil blade of a large heavy knife or a pizza cutter and score surface of brittle into 1 1/2-inch squares. If brittle hardens too much to score, transfer to a large baking sheet and warm on parchment, uncovered, until surface softens, about 5 minutes, then immediately score remaining lines. Cool brittle completely, uncovered, about 30 minutes. Invert brittle and peel off bottom sheet of parchment, then break into pieces.
• Brittle keeps in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, at room temperature 1 month.

MIXED NUT-CORNFLAKE BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with foil and heavily grease the foil; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and butter. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to a boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in cornflakes and nuts. , Spread into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Break into pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

COCONUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Spread coconut evenly over a buttered baking sheet.
• In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar and corn syrup. Microwave on high 3 minutes. Stir in nuts and microwave 4 minutes more. Stir in butter and vanilla and return to microwave for 1 minute. Stir in soda until light and slightly foamy. Pour over coconut in pan. Let cool until firm, 1 hour. Break into pieces.

POPCORN BRITTLE

Steps:

• Lightly butter 2 large (15 x 11-inch)
• baking sheets and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
• Working in batches, place 2 cups popcorn in food processor. Pulse until crushed into small pieces. Do not overprocess. Repeat with remaining popcorn.
• Stir sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is simmering. Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan and continue heating undisturbed until temperature reaches 270F (about 10 to 15 minutes). Mixture will boil vigorously.
• Stir in butter, molasses and vanilla. Continue heating until temperature reaches 290F (between soft- and hard-crack stages).
• Remove pan from heat; stir in crushed popcorn. Working quickly, pour mixture over prepared sheets. Using the buttered rubber spatula, press evenly to flatten like peanut brittle. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack and break into chunks.

NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Put the nuts, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it becomes a nice walnut color and thickens, about 10 to 12 minutes. Quickly pour onto a silpat or foil lined baking sheet and spread the brittle to an even thickness of about 1/3-inch with the back of the spoon.
• Cool for 3 or 4 minutes then score the brittle with a sharp knife into about 24 (2-inch) squares. Once the brittle has cooled completely, snap along scored marks.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Butter 2 cookie sheets, 15 1/2 x 12 inches; keep warm.
• Mix baking soda, 1 tsp water and the vanilla; set aside.
• mix sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup in a 3 quart saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to 240 degrees F on candy thermometer.
• Stir in margarine and peanuts.
• Cook, stirring constantly to 300 degrees F.
• Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.
• Remove from heat immediately; stir in baking soda mixture.
• Pour half of the candy mixture on each cookie sheet and spread quickly until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cool and break into pieces.

OLD-FASHIONED PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Stir first 4 ingredients in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 260°F., about 40 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Mix in peanuts and butter and cook until thermometer registers 295°F., stirring constantly, about 15 minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla and stir briskly (mixture will foam up). Immediately pour out onto prepared baking sheets, dividing evenly. Spread out brittle as thinly as possible. Let stand until cold and hard.
• Break brittle into pieces. Store in airtight containers at room temperature. (Can be prepared 1 month ahead.)