Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe (VIDEO) - Cleverly Simple (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my homemade peanut brittle get hard? ›

The main reason why peanut brittle doesn't get hard and have the crunch we expect is because the sugar was not cooked long enough. The sugar needs to be cooked to what is called the hard crack stage, 300ºF.

Why is my peanut brittle too hard? Peanut brittle can end up too hard when the temperature gets too high during the cooking process. With a microwave peanut brittle recipe like this one, you may need to adjust the cooking times based on your microwave.

Baking soda is also very important at this stage since it reacts to the heat, creating carbon dioxide that aerates the caramel, enabling it to snap when someone bites into it rather than requiring them to gnaw at it until it breaks or pulls apart.

Water: Water helps the sugar completely dissolve. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the other flavors. If you opt for salted butter, you can skip this ingredient. Peanuts: Of course, you'll need peanuts for this classic treat!

What's important to know is that the corn syrup controls the grain of the brittle so adding too little and you have a grainy textured brittle, while adding too much will result in a stringy and sticky brittle.

Microwave oven roasting: Pour peanuts into colander or wire basket and wet thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt. Pour into small microwave safe casserole or pie plate. Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes; stir, microwave 2 1/2 minutes longer.

Place a piece of parchment paper over the hot brittle and use a rolling pin to roll the peanut brittle into a 3/8-inch thick flat layer. Use a sharp chef's knife to partially cut the brittle while it is still warm. Allow it to cool completely before coating it with chocolate.

Put it in a pan on low heat and very slowly melt it. Once it begins to melt you can increase the heat a bit. The trick to this is that you have to stir it constantly in order to keep the peanuts from burning. You're going to want to bring it back to 300F, then immediately pour into the prepared pan.

The snack's appeal is often attributed to the combination of sweet and salty tastes, as well as the crunchiness of the peanuts. Other variations substitute different nuts or sodas. The combination has been called "the working man's strawberries in champagne."

Why is my peanut brittle bitter? ›

Those other liquid sugars have impurities that will burn at the higher temperature of making caramel, leading to a bitter-tasting brittle.

Examples of interfering agents include corn syrup and cream of tartar. A key step in making brittle is heating the syrup to the proper temperature.

Peanut brittle has one redeeming quality: peanuts. Outside of that single ingredient, peanut brittle is painfully unhealthy. It contains: sugar, corn syrup, and butter, all of which are unhealthy for your body in different ways.

Do not refrigerate as the moisture from the fridge will cause the brittle to soften. Store for 6-8 weeks. To Freeze: Peanut brittle can be frozen and stored up to 3 months. Allow the brittle to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe, airtight container.

Brittles are typically composed mostly of sugar, while toffees contain a fair amount of butter and in some cases milk. This makes toffees fuller and richer in taste, while brittles are more purely sweet and sugary. Brittles are also much thinner than most toffees.

Put it in a pan on low heat and very slowly melt it. Once it begins to melt you can increase the heat a bit. The trick to this is that you have to stir it constantly in order to keep the peanuts from burning. You're going to want to bring it back to 300F, then immediately pour into the prepared pan.

Carefully pour the hot mixture onto the prepared pan and use a knife or spoon to quickly (and carefully!) spread the mixture into an even layer. Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minute) before breaking apart and eating. Store the completely cooled peanut brittle in an airtight container.

Without baking soda, the brittle will be hard and chewy.

Dried peanuts may require boiling up to 24 hours until they soften. If your water is hard, full of minerals, or you are boiling at high altitude, then your boiling times for dried peanuts may be greater than 24 hours.