Spiced Peanut Brittle

I came to realize today that my life must have been a lot less busy two years ago before I decided to do the Twelve Days of Treats.

It seemed like nothing then. I would make a couple treats a night, take them to work and do it all over again the next night. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.

But I must have a lot more going on now. Because this is the second year in a row I’ve attempted the Twelve Days of Treats and failed. Either I have more going on, or I’ve lost my edge.

Whatever the reason, I’m pretty sure I only made it to Nine Days of Treats this year.

I know it is no excuse, but I was busy a lot of the time wrapping about forty gifts that look like this…

Thankfully I didn’t poop out before making this awesome brittle.

You will need…

1 ½ cup lightly salted, roasted peanuts

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ tablespoon vegetable oil

3 cups sugar

1 ½ cups water

½ tablespoons soften butter for the spatula

Start by combining the cayenne pepper, cinnamon and the peanuts in a small bowl.

Then, lightly oil a medium sized saucepan and add in the water and sugar.

Cook over high heating, bring the mixture to a boil. Stir often.

When it has begun to boil, cover and cook for three minutes.

Remove the cover and cook over medium high heat until the sugar water is a medium amber color. You want it to be about 300 degrees.

Then, add in the peanut mixture and remove from the heat.

Once completely combined, pour onto a silicone mat lined baking sheet or a buttered parchment lined baking sheet.

Use the buttered spatula to spread the mixture out into a thin layer.

Allow to harden completely.

Break apart and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

 Spiced Peanut Brittle

1 ½ cup lightly salted, roasted peanuts

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ tablespoon vegetable oil

3 cups sugar

1 ½ cups water

½ tablespoons soften butter for the spatula

Start by combining the cayenne pepper, cinnamon and the peanuts in a small bowl.

Then, lightly oil a medium sized saucepan and add in the water and sugar.

Cook over high heating, bring the mixture to a boil. Stir often.

When it has begun to boil, cover and cook for three minutes.

Remove the cover and cook over medium high heat until the sugar water is a medium amber color. You want it to be about 300 degrees.

Then, add in the peanut mixture and remove from the heat.

Once completely combined, pour onto a silicone mat lined baking sheet or a buttered parchment lined baking sheet.

Use the buttered spatula to spread the mixture out into a thin layer.

Allow to harden completely.

Break apart and serve.

1 ½ cup lightly salted, roasted peanuts

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ tablespoon vegetable oil

3 cups sugar

1 ½ cups water

½ tablespoons soften butter for the spatula

Start by combining the cayenne pepper, cinnamon and the peanuts in a small bowl.

Then, lightly oil a medium sized saucepan and add in the water and sugar.

Cook over high heating, bring the mixture to a boil. Stir often.

When it has begun to boil, cover and cook for three minutes.

Remove the cover and cook over medium high heat until the sugar water is a medium amber color. You want it to be about 300 degrees.

Then, add in the peanut mixture and remove from the heat.

Once completely combined, pour onto a silicone mat lined baking sheet or a buttered parchment lined baking sheet.

Use the buttered spatula to spread the mixture out into a thin layer. Allow to harden completely.

Break apart and serve. 

Chocolate Pecan Pie

This is post number five hundred and eleven.

Five hundred and eleven post’s with roughly four hundred and twenty eight recipes.

Almost three full years of at home culinary training.

The start of the third annual Twelve Days of Treats

Friends, that is a whole lot of cooking.

Even if it was bad cooking, it was a whole lot of cooking.

After all of those posts and time and years, I am still completely capable of messing up.

Cooking is a lot like life. No matter how long you do it, you are completely capable of messing up. And just like in cooking, nine times out of ten if you mess something up you can fix it.

This dish is the perfect example. I got this whole thing ready to go. All pretty like. And then realized I missed a major ingredient.

Whoops.

But don’t worry, I fixed it. And it ended up just the way it should have been.

You will need…

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ cups light corn syrup

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup pecans

1 large ball perfect pie crust or 1 store bought basic pie crust

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set it in a large pot of water that is gently boiling.

Let the chocolate melt in this double boiler for about 30 minutes. Just until the chocolate has completely melted.

While the chocolate is melting, roll out the pie crust to fit or lay the pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan.

Then combine the eggs, corn syrup, vanilla, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.

While stirring the mixture together, slowly add in the melted chocolate. Make sure that you stir constantly while adding in the melted chocolate.

Pour the mixture into your prepared pie crust.

Note that right here is where I dropped the ball. I literally forgot to stir in the corn syrup until I had gotten the whole pie ready to go.

But right before adding it to the oven I realized there was a measuring cup full of syrup just waiting to be used.

So I removed the pie filling from the pan, added the syrup to the mixture, recombined, and refilled the pie pan.

And went on to bake a scrumptious, moist, dessert.

I am going advise against following my lead.

Instead, mix ALL the ingredients together and pour them into the pie crust.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway. Just so the filling is set and is no longer jiggling.

Set the pie aside and allow to cool for at least 4 hours.

Slice and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Chocolate Pecan Pie

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ cups light corn syrup

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup pecans

1 large ball perfect pie crust or 1 store bought basic pie crust

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set it in a large pot of water that is gently boiling.

Let the chocolate melt in this double boiler for about 30 minutes. Just until the chocolate has completely melted.

While the chocolate is melting, roll out the pie crust to fit or lay the pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan.

Then combine the eggs, corn syrup, vanilla, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. While stirring the mixture together, slowly add in the melted chocolate. Make sure that you stir constantly while adding in the melted chocolate.

Pour the mixture into your prepared pie crust.

Note that right here is where I dropped the ball. I literally forgot to stir in the corn syrup until I had gotten the whole pie ready to go.

But right before adding it to the oven I realized there was a measuring cup full of syrup just waiting to be used.

So I removed the pie filling from the pan, added the syrup to the mixture, recombined, and refilled the pie pan.

And went on to bake a scrumptious, moist, dessert.

I am going advise against following my lead.

Instead, mix ALL the ingredients together and pour them into the pie crust.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway. Just so the filling is set and is no longer jiggling.

Set the pie aside and allow to cool for at least 4 hours.

Slice and serve.

Salted Caramel

It is no secret that I have been known to offend people on occasion.

I have even been known to clear a room.

Always on accident of course.

This mouth (and these fingers) just lack a sensor.

So on Saturday night, Wes and I attended our friends Lindsey K and Mike’s engagement party.

Which means we got to get all dressed up.

I opted for a new (and trendy) lace skirt I had ordered.

A skirt that my mother complained was way to short.

As she does about pretty much everything that I wear.

Every time she tells me that my dress or skirt is too short, I give her the same shpeel.

I am a young lady. I am allowed to either show off my legs or my cleavage. Not both. Just one.

She laughs at me and shakes her head every time.

At the party, all of my friends were complimenting me on my skirt.

I of course decided to explain to them the disagreement I had had with my mother.

So I loudly proclaimed to the entire room…

“I am a young lady! I am allowed to show either my legs or my cleavage!”

The father of the bride promptly stood up, and swiftly exited the room.

He might have even spit out his drink a little.

Whoops.

My lack of sensor might not be trendy, but my skirt and salted caramel are.

Which is why I made salted caramel for the party.

And even though you shouldn’t copy my statement, you should copy this recipe.

You will need…

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Start by combining the sugar, water and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir it with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Stay patient.

It seams like it taking a really long time, but all of a sudden the liquid will look completely clear. Be patient.

When the sugar has dissolved, cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.

After the 3 minutes, remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.

From this point, do not stir. Instead, swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn.

Continue to cook the caramel until it turns into an even amber color. 

Then remove it from the heat and let it stand for 30 seconds.

Now, carefully pour the heavy cream into the caramel mixture. It will bubble up fast and is very hot.

Gently stir the mixture. 

Add the butter, lemon juice and salt.

Stir until combined.

Move the caramel into a storage container and let it cool, stirring every couple minutes until it has cooled. About 20 minutes.

Now you can use it for whatever your fancy may be.

Perhaps bring the people back that I scared away?

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Salted Caramel 

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Start by combining the sugar, water and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir it with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Stay patient.

It seams like it taking a really long time, but all of a sudden the liquid will look completely clear. Be patient.

When the sugar has dissolved, cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.

After the 3 minutes, remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.

From this point, do not stir. Instead, swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn.

Continue to cook the caramel until it turns into an even amber color. Then remove it from the heat and let it stand for 30 seconds.

Now, carefully pour the heavy cream into the caramel mixture. It will bubble up fast and is very hot.

Gently stir the mixture. Add the butter, lemon juice and salt.

Stir until combined.

Move the caramel into a storage container and let it cool, stirring every couple minutes until it has cooled. About 20 minutes.