12 Sweets of Christmas: #9 & #10 - Peanut Brittle and Cashew Brittle Recipes

Quite a few years ago, and I really can't remember when, I came up with the crazy idea of not just making one or two different kinds of cookies or candies to give away during the Christmas season, but to make 12 different varieties, now known as the "12 Sweets of Christmas".  Once Thanksgiving had ended and the tree had been put up I begin the monumental task of mixing, baking, dipping and wrapping up the 12 goodies into tins to give as gifts to family and friends.  Sometimes I wonder what I have gotten myself into, but everyone seems to love my tins packed full of goodies and I think I would have a revolt on my hands if I failed to follow through on my yearly tradition.  

This year I figured I would share all my recipes and photos of each of the sweets and here are #9 & #10.

#9 & #10 Peanut and Cashew Brittle

My brother, who found this recipe, lives in Ohio.  We don't get to see much of him, but when he comes for a visit we spend the whole week baking and cooking and of course eating the fruits of our labor.  Oh, and we all gain a few pounds in the process!  This is one of the easiest ways to make peanut brittle, plus it is literally the best peanut brittle I have ever tasted.  The brittle is light and almost airy and not rock hard like the store bought stuff.  I gave some to our mailman a few years back and the next day he stopped me and said he hated peanut brittle, but loved mine - could he have the recipe?  I don't believe there is a better compliment for a cook than that.

Peanut/Cashew Brittle

-in a 8 C Pyrex

Slightly more than 1 C salted nuts (peanut or cashew)

1 C Sugar

½ C Corn Syrup

-microwave 6-8 minutes and stir ½ way through

1 t Butter

1 t Vanilla

-stir, microwave 1 ½ – 2 minutes

1 t Baking Soda

-stir in and immediately pour onto greased pan

-cool and break apart

Peanut Brittle

Before you begin, get all your ingredients together.  This is a quick recipe and seconds can cause you to have an amazing brittle or a total failure.  Also, remember to grease a cookie sheet with butter or oil.

Place the sugar, nuts and corn syrup in your 8 cup Pyrex.

*You must use an extremely heavy duty microwave safe bowl.  One year I used a bowl my sister loaned to me and it shattered due to the extremely high heat.*

Microwave for 3-4 minutes and stir.
(I microwave mine for only 3 minutes.)

Microwave another 3 minutes and add the butter and vanilla.  Stir.  Return to the microwave for another 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.  This is the tricky part of the recipe as just 10-15 seconds will burn your brittle.  I microwave mine for exactly 1 min 45 seconds.  Immediately add the baking soda, stir like mad and pour onto your greased cookie sheet.

Let cool for about a half hour and then break into pieces.

The worst part of this recipe is the sticky candy adhered to the Pyrex.  I let mine soak in hot, sudsy water for about a 1/2 hour and that usually cleans it up or let your dishwasher do all the work.  There is really no way to scrub the hard candy off the glass, so sit back, relax, let the warm water do the work and eat some brittle.

Cashew Brittle

The cashew brittle is made the exact same way as the peanut, but I found that I needed to reduce the cooking time or it would burn.  I cut back the last time in the microwave by 10 seconds.