Chipotle peanut brittle

I was home the other day, rummaging through the kitchen, looking for something sweet. Nothing I wanted was in sight so, of course, that meant time to cook! I wanted to make something quick that didn't require a trip to the market, so I settle on chipotle peanut brittle. Incredibly easy to make, this snack is surprisingly wonderful!

Chipotle Peanut Brittle

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Yield: 28 servings (1 ounce per serving)

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup light-colored corn syrup

1 tbsp butter

1 11.5 ounce container salted, dry-roasted peanuts

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp chipotle chile powder

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Combine the sugar, corn syrup and butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the mixture just starts to turn golden in color and registers 275 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the peanuts to the mixture and cook for 3 minutes or until the mixture is golden brown and registers 295 degrees F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and chile powder. The baking soda will cause the mixture to bubble up and become opaque.
4. Quickly and carefully pour the brittle onto the lined baking sheet. Cover with another sheet of parchment or wax paper and quickly roll the brittle to an even thickness. Remove the top sheet of parchment and discard. Cool the brittle completely and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

per serving (1 oz): 133 calories, 6.2g fat (1.1g saturated, 1.9g polyunsaturated, 3g monounsaturated), 18.7g carbohydrates,  1g fiber, 2.8g protein

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

The trickiest part of making the brittle is determining when to add the peanuts. Luckily, I have pictures below to help you out! 

Once the sugar, corn syrup and butter mixture melts, it will begin to bubble. Now I usually don't stir my mixture when making caramel, but if you are making a large batch, stirring will help prevent it from burning on the bottom. If making a smaller batch, this isn't as big of a concern. 

I prefer to cook the sugar mixture over medium-low because once it starts to change color, it can very quickly go from golden to burned.

Right when you see the bubbles slightly changing color, you want to add the peanuts. You don't want to wait any longer since the mixture will continue to cook for 3 minutes even after you add the peanuts.

If you are more sensitive to spicy, add half the amount of chipotle powder. I made mine with cayenne instead.

This is a sign that your caramel is too dark! By this stage, the caramel will be very burned by the time you add the peanuts and cook another 3 minutes. You can even smell the burnt smell when you have reached this stage.

The baking soda makes the brittle bubble up, which is another reason why you want to use a large saucepan. The color also changes to opaque.

Be very careful when pouring the mixture onto the parchment paper; you don't want to touch the brittle when it's hot or else you will get a very painful burn (caramel burns are the worst!)

The brittle cools fairly quickly, so you don't have to wait too long to enjoy. 

Snack on these by themselves or use as toppings for ice cream or even on your salad! I love the flavors of sweet with the spicy; the heat comes in after with a nice kick. I've never been a big brittle fan but this recipe changed my mind. Just darn delicious!