My Recipe Reviews

Recipe Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

holiday candy

Caramel-Vanilla Peanut Brittle

by Leave a Comment

Peanut Brittle

This year for Christmas I’m trying a lot of new, different recipes. Why? I need to shake up the status quo, even though I love the old standard goodies.

I made a wonderful peanut brittle last year (Trisha Yearwood’s phenomenal recipe), but this Caramel-Vanilla Peanut Brittle from Stella Parks’s book, BraveTart caught my eye.

You use a vanilla bean to give it more of a real vanilla flavor, although you can stir in vanilla extract if you don’t have/don’t want to buy one. The brittle turns out to be caramely golden brown, sweet and full of crunchy peanuts. Everything you want in a good, go-to peanut brittle.

Peanut Brittle

If you’re looking for a new, tasty peanut brittle for your holiday tray, try this one and you won’t be disappointed!

Peanut Brittle

Caramel-Vanilla Peanut Brittle

Yield: about 1 lb.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Crunchy, deeply caramel peanut brittle for the holidays. 

Ingredients

  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1/3 C. (3 oz.) water
  • 1/2 C. (6 oz.) light corn syrup
  • 1 C. (7 oz.) granulated sugar
  • 4 tbsp. (2 oz.) unsalted butter
  • 1 rounded C. (5 oz.) dry -roasted peanuts
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Lightly butter an aluminum baking sheet. Have the baking soda and salt ready in a little bowl.
  2. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a paring knife and scrape the seeds from each.  Combine the water, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla seeds in a 3-quart stainless steel saucier (I used a Dutch oven) set over medium-low heat. 
  3. Gently stir the ingredients with a fork until the clear syrup is bubbling hard just around the edges, 4-5 minutes,  Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture, without stirring, until the syrup is medium golden (8-10 minutes - approximately 300°).  Remove pan from heat.
  4. Immediately stir in the baking soda, salt, and peanuts and stir briskly until combined.  Quickly pour the mixture onto the prepared pan and spread into a roughly 8x12" layer.  Let cool to room temperature, about an hour.
  5. Break the cooled brittle into pieces.  Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

If you don't have or don't want to buy vanilla beans, add 1 tsp of vanilla after you remove it from the heat, after the soda and salt are added.

Stella Parks says you can use refined coconut oil instead of the butter if you prefer.  She also recommends Diamond Crystal kosher salt (I didn't have that brand, so used regular kosher salt.  If all you have is table salt, then only use a pinch.)

300° isn't written in stone - eyeball the color and don't let it get too dark.

Pour it quickly into the prepared pan - it will start to harden immediately.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 pieces Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 23Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Stella Parks
Category: Candy

Easy Eggnog Fudge

by Leave a Comment

Easy Eggnog Fudge

I love eggnog! Sometimes it seems like I’m the only person around that likes it, but I’m going to take a chance that there are other eggnog lovers out there and post this Easy Eggnog Fudge.

The original recipe comes from Happy Life Blogspot, so thank you Lisa!

There are only six ingredients in this luscious fudge, including the ground nutmeg sprinkled on top as the final touch. It’s very straightforward to make, but always stay nearby your boiling candy because it can go from almost ready to oops too far quickly.

Eggnog Fudge

The eggnoggy fudge is very sweet, rather firm, and I love it. You can use pre-ground nutmeg, but fresh is best.

Fresh whole nutmeg will last almost indefinitely stored in your cabinet, so you can use it year after year on your holiday goodies.

Eggnog Fudge

I halved the original recipe. If you double it, use a 13×9″ pan.

It’s very sweet and rich, so a little of this Easy Eggnog Fudge goes a long way, so cut it into small pieces. It’s so pretty on a Christmas plate and gets snapped up quickly!

Eggnog Fudge

Easy Eggnog Fudge

Yield: 2 lb. of fudge (about 40 pieces)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Sweet, thick fudge that completes your holiday goodies platter.  Be sure and use fresh nutmeg!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 C. eggnog
  • 2 C. granulated sugar
  • 1 (12 oz) package white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 C butter
  • 5 oz. marshmallow cream (little more than half of a container) **
  • freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Line an 8x8" pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
  2. In a large, nonstick sauce pan, combine the eggnog, and sugar.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, and bring to a boil.  Continue to constantly stir for 10 minutes while it boils. (Full 10 minutes so it won't be grainy!)
  3. Turn off the heat and add the white chocolate chips, butter, and marshmallow fluff.  Stir briskly until the chips are completely melted and smooth (be patient!)
  4. Pour the mixture into the foil-lined pan and spread evenly until smooth.  Sprinkle the top with a light dusting of fresh nutmeg.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour until firm.  Once it's thoroughly chilled, lift out of the pan and cut into 1" or so squares.  Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Cut the butter into pieces before putting into the pan to melt for easier combining.

**This is a firm fudge.  If you want it creamier, use the whole 7 oz. container of marshmallow fluff.

If you don't have fresh nutmeg, that's OK, just use what you have.

I halved the original recipe, so if you double, use a 13x9" pan.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 40 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 81Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 25mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 0g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Happy Life Blogspot
Category: Candy

Creamy Soft Homemade Caramels

by 3 Comments

These caramels are another new test recipe for Christmas platters. I knew they would turn out well because they’re Ina Garten’s recipe and every recipe of hers I’ve tried has been a success.

A couple of years ago I tried another caramel recipe and although it came out pretty well, it was so slippery and buttery that they were hard to handle and left quite the butter trail behind.

These Creamy Soft Homemade Caramels came out perfectly! Soft and buttery without being greasy, and so, so very creamy.

A note on making caramels and candy in general. If you’ve made candy before, you already know this – always use a candy thermometer and never turn your back on the candy while it’s cooking! It can go from a friendly little transparent boil to a frighteningly dark burn in an instant.

Also, don’t stir the sugar/syrup mixture while it’s boiling or it will be grainy. Swirl the pot around gently if you really feel you need to.

All-in-all this recipe was step-by-step easy to follow with terrific instructions. Ina Garten calls hers “Fleur del Sel Caramels” and she sprinkles salt lightly on the finished caramels, but I used salted butter and found that topping them with a sprinkle of salt made them too salty for us.

I enjoyed the candy-making process on these Creamy Soft Homemade Caramels and this recipe will be my go-to from now on.

Don’t forget to keep them refrigerated. They are very soft and will spread at room temperature. I could see these dipped in a coating of chocolate. Oh, yeah!

Creamy Soft Homemade Caramels

Soft and Creamy Homemade Caramels

Yield: 36 pieces
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

****Outstanding.  Very soft and creamy - such a smooth texture.  They're unbelievably good.  Adapted very slightly from Ina Garten. 

Ingredients

  • vegetable oil
  • 1/4 C water
  • 1 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/4 C light corn syrup
  • 1 C heavy cream
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 scant tsp fine fleur del sel, (I used kosher salt)
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Prepare wrapping papers by cutting 4x4" pieces of waxed paper (about 36 pieces).  Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides (for lifting out), and very lightly brush the paper with the oil.
  2. In a deep saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat (don't stir after the initial combining of ingredients).  Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown.  Remove from heat immediately.
  3. While the sugar/syrup mixture is cooking, in a small pot bring the cream, butter and 1 tsp of salt to a simmer over medium heat.  Turn off the heat and set aside.
  4. When the sugar/syrup mixture is finished and removed from heat, slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar/syrup pan.  Be very careful!  It will bubble up violently and is very hot!  Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and return the pan to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until a candy thermometer reaches 248 degrees (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.
  5. Very carefully pour the very hot mixture into the prepared pan and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.  Move the pan to the refrigerator and let it firm up for 3-4 hours.
  6. When the caramel is cold and firm, lift the parchment paper out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Cut the caramel into 6 by 6 rows.  Take one piece of the caramel and place it on one edge of one of the waxed paper pieces.  Gently, but firmly roll up the caramel and twist the ends to seal.  Keep refrigerated and serve the caramels chilled.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Don't use table salt for these - it will make them way too salty.  Fleur de Sel and kosher salt are pretty much interchangeable.

When you see the boiling sugar mixture start to lightly brown, watch carefully and take the pan off the heat almost immediately unless you like a more burnt caramel taste.

For the cream and butter mixture, let it just come to a simmer and then remove from the heat.  You can stir this mixture, just not the boiling sugar mixture.

If you're using salted butter (as I did), taste one of the caramels with a sprinkle of salt on top and see if it's too salty.  I thought it was, so left the finishing salt off.

The very easiest way to cut the caramels is with a sharp pizza cutter.  

You can make these disk shaped or log shaped - whatever floats your boat.

These are very soft and creamy, so if you're looking for a firm caramel, this isn't it.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
© Ina Garten "Fleur de Sel Caramels"
Category: Candy