Cashew Brittle

My second favorite holiday treat is Cashew Brittle. I found this recipe eleven years ago and have made one or two batches every year. It makes a great gift! I’ve been asked for this recipe many times and have been happy to share. After tasting this, peanut brittle just doesn’t cut it!!

Warning to Moms with young children: this is a recipe that requires your attention, so make sure the kids are entertained before you start.

Favorites Forever: Buttery Cashew Brittle
By David Feder in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, December 1997
(I told you some of these magazines had been around awhile! This is from the year my oldest son was born.)

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
1 cup butter
3 cups cashews (the recipe calls for raw, but I always end up using salted cashews purchased in bulk – that way my husband has a treat ‘before the treat’)
1 tsp. baking soda

In a 3-quart saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring syrup to boiling; add butter and stir until butter is melted. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Reduce heat to medium low; continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 280 degrees (about 35 minutes). This is the soft-crack stage.

Stir in the cashews; continue cooking over medium-low heat stirring frequently until thermometer registers 300 degrees (10 to 15 minutes more). This is the hard-crack stage.

Remove mixture from heat; remove thermometer. Quickly stir in the baking soda, mixing thoroughly. Pour mixture into two buttered (okay, I did use spray!) baking sheets or 15x10x1 inch pans.

As the cashew brittle cools, stretch it out by lifting and pulling with two forks from the edges. Loosen from pans as soon as possible; pick up sections and break them into bite-size pieces. Store tightly covered. Makes about 2 ½ pounds (72 servings).

Up Close and Yummy!