Cashew Brittle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why add baking soda to brittle? ›

Baking soda also raises the pH of the mixture, promoting the Maillard reaction and giving the brittle its particular color and flavor profile.

The main reason why peanut brittle doesn't get hard and have the crunch we expect is because the sugar was not cooked long enough. The sugar needs to be cooked to what is called the hard crack stage, 300ºF.

It's just cashews, butter, sugar, corn syrup, baking soda, and the aforementioned sea salt. It's adapted from a recipe in Karen DeMasco's wonderful book, The Craft of Baking. What is this? The only equipment you need is a pot, a rimmed baking sheet, and an inexpensive candy thermometer.

Because cashews don't have a thick outer skin and they already start as a softer nut, they only need to be soaked for about 2-3 hours. You can soak them overnight, just be sure to place them in the fridge. Over soaking them can lead to bitterness, slimy water, and leaching of their flavor.

Baking powder is better for recipes that contain little or no acid ingredients. Baking soda helps make fried foods crispy and light. It is also useful for cleaning and removing stains.

It's important not to use too much baking soda in recipes, as it can result in a metallic, soapy flavor. It is much more powerful than baking powder – you only need about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour to leaven baked goods.

What Makes it Brittle? The sugar will be cooked to 300ºF (149ºC)—hard crack stage; which when set up would be hard like a lollipop. But peanut brittle is delicate and you can easily bite into it—how? The secret is in the baking soda.

Carefully pour the hot mixture onto the prepared pan and use a knife or spoon to quickly (and carefully!) spread the mixture into an even layer. Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minute) before breaking apart and eating. Store the completely cooled peanut brittle in an airtight container.

What's important to know is that the corn syrup controls the grain of the brittle so adding too little and you have a grainy textured brittle, while adding too much will result in a stringy and sticky brittle.

Raw cashews contain urushiol, a resin that is toxic if ingested and can cause rashes or burns if it contacts the skin. To remove this substance, cashews must go through a rigorous roasting or steaming process to ensure they are safe to eat. This is why you will always see cashews shelled at the grocery store.

What is the black mold in cashews? ›

Black mould is one of the most important foliar diseases of dwarf cashew plants in coastal zone of northeastern Brazil.

Soaking cashews is just submerging them in water and allowing them to absorb the water. in order to soften them for blending. Your results will be creamier. silkier and smoother.

Roasting the cashew nuts to destroy the toxins is dangerous as well, as the toxins are released into the air. After the toxins are removed, the cashews must be graded and sorted. The entire process is labor-intensive as well as hazardous, which helps explain part of why cashews are so expensive.

In addition to phytic acid, cashews also contain a large number of enzyme inhibitors. When too many of these inhibitors are present, it can make the nut hard to digest. Soaking is a way to neutralize some of these enzymes, allowing for proper digestion when you eat the cashews.

The soaking cashews will swell, especially the ones that sit overnight. However, if they have turned purple-ish it is a sign they have soaked too long and you should start over.

Store in an airtight container or a plastic freezer bag as this will prevent the brittle from becoming sticky and breaking down. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

The soda reacts with the acid to make bubbles, and the syrup foams. When the cooked syrup is poured out and begins to harden, many of the tiny bubbles are trapped before they can escape (another reason the baking soda is added at the end).

Baking soda becomes activated when it's combined with both an acidic ingredient and a liquid. Upon activation, carbon dioxide is produced, which allows baked goods to rise and become light and fluffy (1).

Examples of interfering agents include corn syrup and cream of tartar. A key step in making brittle is heating the syrup to the proper temperature.