Easy Nut Brittle

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With just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes in the microwave, this Easy Nut Brittle is a last minute time saver for surprise guests or gifts.

Peanut brittle has always been a family favorite. I mean, who doesn’t like caramel like candy surrounding salty nuts with a hint of vanilla? It’s probably one of my favorite if not THE favorite candy for the holidays. Or just the favorite candy. Aside from bourbon balls, of course.

Growing up peanut brittle was a production. I mean, we had to plan it weeks in advance. There was always a trip to Southern States to pick up the raw peanuts. They had to be raw peanuts. Don’t ask me why, but that’s what we did.

Not that I minded. That crunchy peanut treat was one that I thoroughly enjoyed! The slight caramel flavor combined with the peanuts in that fluffy light candy. It’s enough to make my mouth water.

I remember sheet pan after sheet pan coated with aluminum foil. We coated the foil in butter or oil. They were scattered throughout the kitchen. Almost every countertop was covered with sheet pans. We never really did anything in a small scale growing up.

The large pot was on the stove. The sugar and corn syrup were bubbling away on the stove. The importance of being careful not to boil it too long or with high heat. And the fear of God was put into us when the peanuts and baking soda went into the pot.

If the mixture boiled over it would make the biggest mess that was like cement to try to clean up. So, you didn’t want it to boil over. Ever. Or else you were scrubbing that overflow off the stove for days.

It was always hurry up and wait. Hurry up to get all the ingredients in pot and then wait for it all to boil. And wait. And wait. Just when you couldn’t wait any more, it was time to add the nuts and baking soda. And the furry of pouring the brittle in the sheet pans ensued.

It was painful waiting for the brittle to cool so we could break it apart and nibble on the smaller pieces. Because the larger bits went into tins that Mom and Dad would giveaway to friends and co-workers throughout the holiday season. And those tins were such a delight to receive.

Unfortunately, I have not inherited the gift of making this delicious treat on the stove. But, I have learned that you can make this in the homemade easy peanut brittle microwave oven. I didn’t invent this method, I just tweaked it for my own microwave and tastes.

While peanut brittle is delicious, this nut brittle is even more delicious! I used the deluxe mixed nuts with fewer peanuts in there, then added some extra vanilla, and some cinnamon. Let me tell you, this Easy Nut Brittle is so good you won’t want to give it away. You’ll want to save it all for yourself.

You see what I meant? Those are almonds front and center! Also buried in the candy are cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, and some pecans. I think there’s a few peanuts in there, but feel free to use a mix of nuts you prefer. Just make sure you add the little touch of cinnamon. It is the secret to making these completely irresistible.

Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2019! Co-hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and fun? 25 bloggers from around the country have come together to share some of their favorite sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, cocoa, and more! Follow along on social media with our #ChristmasSweetsWeek hashtag. Happy Holidays!

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Christmas Breakfasts:
Easy Candied Orange Peel Sticky Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Christmas Pastries and Desserts:
Polar Bear Paws from Our Good Life

Christmas Candies:
Easy Nut Brittle from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures