Cashew Brittle
Cashew brittle is a classic homemade candy that is sweet, salty, crunchy, and absolutely irresistible.
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup light corn syrup (I used Karo Brand)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups roasted & salted cashews
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot fitted with a candy thermometer, bring the water, granulated sugar, light corn syrup, and unsalted butter to a boil. This should take anywhere from 12 to 16 minutes. DO NOT STIR OR DISTURB THE COOKING SUGARS UNTIL YOU START TO SEE THEM GETTING LIGHTLY GOLDEN IN COLOR. You want your brittle mixture to reach 300°F (hard crack stage) on your candy thermometer. Turn off the heat to the pot immediately. If you have an electric stove, remove the pot from the burner so that your sugar mixture does not keep cooking.
- Working very quickly, stir in the baking soda, vanilla extract, and cashews. Be very careful as the baking soda will cause the sugar mixture to bubble up rapidly.
- Immediately pour your hot brittle mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and quickly spread out the cashew brittle into as even a layer as possible (an approximate 9×12-inch rectangle). You will need to work quickly as the brittle will start to harden almost immediately.
- Allow your cashew brittle to cool on the counter completely before breaking it into pieces.
Notes
Please note that you are working with very hot sugar that can cause severe burns if not handled properly. Always keep the little ones away from the stovetop while making this cashew brittle and remember to never walk away from the hot pot.
Because your hot sugar mixture can go from perfect to burnt very quickly, you want to make sure you keep an eye on the temperature. I like to turn off my burner when the thermometer reaches 295°F because the sugar will get up to 300°F very quickly. Make sure you have your cashews, baking soda, and vanilla extract handy because you have to work very quickly with this recipe.
The reason you do not want to stir, or disturb, the cooking sugar in the beginning is so that crystals do not form in your cooked sugar. Once your sugar starts to turn a light golden color you can very carefully move the sugars around the bottom of the pot so that you don’t get a burn spot. DO NOT stir vigorously at this time.