Category: Teach Beatitudes

Grandpa’s Peanut Brittle

  • Measure out peanuts in one container, and butter, baking soda and vanilla in another.  Have them ready.  This recipe goes quickly near the end.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2-3 cups salted roasted peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Homemade Peanut Brittle in 6 steps:

  1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Cook sugar mixture.  Add sugar and water to a medium saucepan and stir well. Stir in corn syrup. The corn syrup helps avoid crystallization.  Cook mixture over medium heat (don’t be tempted to turn the heat up!), stirring occasionally, until it comes to a gentle boil. It is not necessary to start stirring continually until it starts to boil.  Cook until temperature reaches 250F (121°C).
    • Attach your candy thermometer to the edge of the pot, and make sure it is submerged in the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pot.
  3. Stir in peanuts.  Add peanuts and stir the mixture constantly until the candy thermometer temperature reaches 300 degrees F.
  4. Remove from heat. 
  5. Add remaining ingredients.  Immediately stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will foam and change texture.
    HINT:  I mix this mixture in with about 1/2 C peanuts so it pours easily.
  6. Pour into sheet pan.  Carefully pour the hot mixture onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Use a knife or spoon to quickly (and carefully!) spread the mixture into an even layer.
  7. Cool and enjoy. Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minutes) before breaking apart and eating.
  8. Store the completely cooled peanut brittle in an airtight container.

Corn Syrup Substitutes:

If you need to substitute corn syrup in this peanut brittle recipe, you can substitute cup for cup of:

  • honey
  • light molasses
  • agave nectar
  • brown rice syrup

You could also substitute a combination of these ingredients and please note that with any of these substitutions, the peanut brittle will have a lightly different taste, texture and consistency as well.

 

Notes

To make ahead: Peanut brittle can be made several days or even weeks in advance.  It stays fresh at room temperature for 6-8 weeks weeks.

To store: Store peanut brittle (once it’s completely cooled) in an airtight container at room temperature.  Do not refrigerate as the moisture from the fridge will cause the brittle to soften. Store for 6-8 weeks.

To freeze: Peanut brittle can be frozen and stored up to 3 months.  Allow the brittle to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe, airtight container.

Personal Spinach Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 C cooked spinach from Bistro
  • 2 containers Cream Cheese from Bistro
  • 1 C flavored croutons from Buckwald’s (mostly crushed)
  • 2 TBL butter from Buckwald’s (melted)
  • 1/2 C Parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 1/2 pint sour cream
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Squeeze most of the liquid from the cooked spinach
  2. Mix all ingredients
  3. Put into oven or microwave dish – lightly greased
  4. Bake or Microwave
    1. BAKE at 350° ½ hour or so to warm
    2. MICROWAVE on high for 2 minutes
  5. Let cool a bit before serving.

Personal Spinach Souffle

Souffle
This souffle is almost like eating a spinach cloud!

INGREDIENTS
Double for two people

  • 1/2 C * steamed and chopped spinach (squeezed)
  • 1 eggs ** (separate whites from yolks… the yellows)
  • 1/4 CU cottage cheese
  • 1/4 CU shredded Cheddar or Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 TBL flour
  • 1/4 stick butter or 2 OZ low-fat sour cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • dash or two of Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder
  • dash of nutmeg

STEP BY STEP

  1. Separate egg whites from yolks * See Grandpa’s Tip below
  2. Whisk whites on medium high until it starts to thicken, then add salt and Cream of Tartar
  3. Continue to beat. It will become shiny.  AS SOON as it starts to loose its luster, your whites are ready.
  4. It’s better to under-beat the eggs rather than over-beat them.  If you over-beat them, your souffle will taste grainy.
  5. Mix yolks with spinach, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, flour, butter and spices
  6. When the whites are ready, GENTLY fold in your yolk mixture.
  7. OPTIONAL:  Mix in 1-2 pieces of crisp cooked bacon – Add garlic powder and onion powder – Add caramelized onion and/or mushrooms
  8. Pour into a greased glass baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

If you are lucky, your souffle will have puffed up about an inch or so.  If you are like most of us normal human beings, your souffle may have fallen or collapsed in the middle.  That’s OK.  It will still taste marvelous.

* When separating an egg, bring it up to ROOM TEMPERATURE.  Then crack the egg on a FLAT surface and it will break cleanly.  Over a small bowl, pour the yolk from one shell into the other allowing the white to ooze into the bowl.  Dump the yolk into a SECOND bowl, and then dump the white into a THIRD bowl… a clean glass mixing bowl.  Why?  Because if you make one little mistake and a speck of yolk falls into your whites, you might was well save it for scrambled eggs.  Repeat the process with the second egg.

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