xmas week 2017 - microwave salted pecan brittle

xmas week 2017 - microwave salted pecan brittle

• 19 Dec 2017

Welcome to day 2 of Christmas week. Last time I had my hair cut, my hairdresser asked what I’d be bringing him for Christmas. At that point I hadn’t put any thought into my Christmas gifts but upon reflection I thought I'd make some salted pecan brittle. 

When I was in South Africa in July, I bought some pecan brittle at the airport which was so delicious I couldn't stop eating it. I set to work trying to recreate the taste and while I’m not sure I’m there yet, I’ve had fun eating my way through 2 batches. 

I used a microwave nut brittle recipe, which I found online. The recipe doesn't have many ingredients but it does contain corn syrup which is really hard to track down. I found my corn syrup online but if you can't track any down, maybe you could use glucose syrup at a pinch.

Here's the recipe for you. For all my recipes I use a 250ml cup and a 20 ml tablespoon. I use 60 gm eggs and unsalted butter and my oven is a conventional gas oven not fan forced, so you may have reduce your oven temperature by 20°C. I have an 800W microwave oven so if your microwave is a 1000W oven, you'll need to reduce the cooking time.

Microwave Salted Pecan Brittle - Makes about 3 dozen pieces 

Ingredients 

250g pecans, lightly toasted and salted 

1 cup sugar 

½ cup light corn syrup 

15g butter 

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Salt flakes 

Directions 

Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or a silicone mat and place in the oven to keep warm.

Spray a wooden spoon with olive oil spray. Mix together the sugar and corn syrup in a large microwave-safe bowl and stir until well combined; the mixture will be stiff and hard to stir. Be sure to use a large enough bowl; the sugar/corn syrup should fill it no more than ¼ to ⅓ full. 

Microwave the sugar mixture uncovered on high for 3 minutes; stir then cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the warmed pecans and butter, and stir well to combine. Keep the baking sheet handy as you'll be needing it again soon.

Return the bowl to the microwave and cook on high for 1- 2 minutes, or until the mixture turns a nice medium-brown caramel colour. Add the bicarbonate of soda and vanilla and stir quickly to combine. Be careful, as the mixture will bubble upon the addition of these ingredients. 

Working quickly, pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it as evenly as possible. Lightly sprinkle with the salt flakes. Once the brittle has set and cooled (30 to 60 minutes), break it into pieces. 

I can't tell you how moreish this pecan brittle is and it's so easy to make and best of all you can use any kind of nut. I've made brittle with both macadamias and salted peanuts and both have turned out really well. 

I'll be back again tomorrow with day 3 of Christmas week.

Bye for now,

Jillian