For someone with such a sweet tooth, I really don’t make treats and candies often. I think I just tend to buy them from people who are better at it than I am. There are times, though, when I’ve been so enchanted with something that I’ve wanted to recreate it myself.
Over the holidays my parents went to the Philippines to visit family. As is customary in my family, they came back with lots of treats. I mean lots and lots of treats.
One of those treats was a thin cashew brittle from a small shop in Baguio. I was instantly addicted. We finished the packaged they gave us in a matter of a day. Just one.
And then we were left craving more.
To remedy that, I set off to make my own version only to find my candy thermometer was broken!
Lucky for me (and you!) I was able to make (and remake) the brittle without a candy thermometer. Just keep an eye on the color, and it works every time.
The trick to keeping the brittle light and crisp instead of hard is to avoid over mixing it after adding the baking soda. Whisk it a bit to mix it in, but let the bubbles remain to give the brittle an airy texture.
Second pointer – chop those cashews up finely. I chopped mine up, took the photo, then ended up chopping them some more. Small pieces, people!
Also, spreading the caramel with a spatula pops the air bubbles, too, so instead I pour the caramel onto one end of my baking sheet then tilt it so the caramel slowly spreads towards the other end. This spreads it thin while keeping the air bubbles intact.
Airy Cashew Brittle
| Prep time 5 mins | Cook time 15 mins | Total time 20 mins |  |
This cashew brittle is light, airy and crisp and can be made without a candy thermometer.
Author: Joy @ The Joyful Foodie
Recipe type: candy, desser
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- 1½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tbs butter
- ¾ cups water
- 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Finely chop cashews.
- Line a baking sheet or jelly roll pan with a silicone baking mat or foil greased with butter.
- Place sugar, salt, butter and water in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- Without stirring, allow to cook until mixture turns a light caramel color, about 10-13 minutes.
- Add the cashews and whisk quickly until combined.
- Remove pot from the heat and add baking soda, whisk to combine but do not over mix.
- Pour mixture onto one side of the lined baking sheet.
- Tilt the sheet so that the caramel slowly spreads towards the opposite side until desired thickness is reached.
- Do not spread the caramel with a spatula or the airy bubbles will pop.
- Allow to cool then keep in an airtight container.
What’s your favorite travel souvenir? I’m all for the edible kind – no clutter when you can just eat it all! 😉
