Cashew Candy Crunch

Name: Cashew Candy Crunch
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2-1/4 pounds.
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter, divided; 2 cups sugar; 1 cup light corn syrup; 1 cup water; 2-1/2 cups unsalted cashew halves; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

I started making brittle in the mid 1970s and have been using this recipe for about 30 years. One year, I made more than 170 pounds of this brittle to give to my customers at Christmas. —Jim Merchant, Vinton, Iowa

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter, divided
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
2-1/2 cups unsalted cashew halves
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Butter a 15x10x1-in. pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat; cut remaining butter into cubes and carefully stir into syrup. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 280° (soft-crack stage). Add nuts; cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 295°.
Remove from the heat; stir in baking soda. Immediately pour into prepared pan. Cool; break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Editor's Note

We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.

Nutrition Facts

1 ounce-weight: 171 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 14mg cholesterol, 54mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (14g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.

Originally published as Cashew Brittle in Taste of Home December/January 2010

Reviews

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Average Rating:

BeckyOlthoff

Dec 20, 2011

This is fabulous. We've made this three times and each time it turned out just right. We used two 10-in. x 15-in. pans for thinner brittle.
mamawolf11

Dec 22, 2010

forgot to give the star rating...
mamawolf11

Dec 22, 2010

wow, can't stop eating it once you start. may want to make two batches one for you, one for everyone else. this was our first time making brittle and were a little nervous about trying it. Don't rush. make sure you have enough time to follow directions. this recipe goes into the keep box...
keverwann

Dec 10, 2010

Made this with peanuts; who can afford that many cashews? Not us college students!The brittle didn't taste like anything, just sweet. The brittle I made in chemistry class in 10th grade turned out much tastier. I think that had some vanilla extract.I made this in a 3.5 qt saucepan that I guess is somewhat tall. Because of this, there wasn't a lot of surface area for the bubbles to escape from. I think this is what caused the cooking time to increase from 30 minutes to 2 hours!!!!! Glad I went to the bathroom before I started! Next time I will use my 6 qt Dutch oven, which has over double the surface area of my saucepan. I think that will help with the cooking time in another way because the mixture will be shallower (heating faster) with a more evenly distributed heat.The mixture dropped 30 degrees when I added the peanuts, which startled me and made me wonder how long this recipe was going to take! But the degree climbing with the nuts took less time than without them.I also greased a 10x15 pan, as the recipe said, and my brittle came out to be 1/2 inch thick!!! Too thick for my definition of brittle, so when I make it again, I will use my lipped cookie sheet (12x17).
wendybird54

Feb 7, 2010

Made this as a gift- it made plenty. Whoops! We ate it all. I had never tried using a candy thermometer before and the idea intimidated me, but this came out perfectly.
lmvandusen

Dec 20, 2009

My 13 year old daughter made this for everyone on thanksgiving what a hit. Now all of the grandparents want it for christmas. UMMM the issue. She lost the recipe and tried this one and it turned out bad. Too many cashews. I belive that in the magazine there weren't as many cashews. It is way to many nuts. could you please let us know for sure how many cashews need to be added!!!!!
Colies_Kitchen

Dec 19, 2009

SOOOOOOOOOO good! WOW I made this last night, it makes 2.5lbs and we might have .25 of a pound left. It's easy and yummy I even made it with peanuts and its just as good! YUUUM-O