31 for 21: Jalepeno Peanut Brittle

Sweet. Salty. Spicy. Crunchy. Interesting.

A nice treat for those who like spicy stuff, this easy brittle (for a mid-experienced candy maker) is a favorite of my mom's. Jalapenos (or other hot peppers) lend a hot color and flavor touch to a brittle that didn't forget the peanuts.

Jalapeno Peanut Brittle (Gluten, Dairy, Corn-free)

Adapted from CDKitchen.com

1 tablespoon lard (or butter)

1/3 cup jalepenos, seeded and very finely chopped

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts*

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. In a skillet melt 1 tablespoon of the lard. Add jalapenos, and cook over low heat until peppers are soft. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan, combine sugar and syrup. Stirring, bring to a boil over medium heat. Add jalapenos and peanuts. Stir well, and cook until mixture reaches the soft crack stage on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

3. Blend in vanilla extract and almond extract. Sprinkle baking soda evenly over the cooked mixture and stir well. When foamy, pour immediately onto a cookie sheet. Let cool until the brittle is cool enough to handle. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:

*If using raw peanuts, cook with the jalapenos and proceed to set aside.

You may add food coloring with the extracts, if desired.

One of the llamas here at Liberty Ranch. It's good to close with a picture :).

~ Hanunyah

31 for 21 is a blog challenge to raise Down Syndrome awareness 1 blog at a time. The challenge is to blog everyday the whole month of October (31 days) to raise awareness for Down Syndrome (aka Trisomy 21). This is the 6th Annual 31 for 21 Challenge.

Sweet and Salty Dessert Pizza

Another sweet pizza . . . somebody gave us a bunch of chips, so I came up with this funky flavor. They said it was good (and blog-worthy :-) ), but surely not as good as the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Dessert Pizza.


Sweet and Salty Dessert Pizza (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)
Hanunyah Creation


Crust:
1/2 cup lard
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups rice flour
1/2 cup crushed chips (I used corn chips)

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup milk*
2 tablespoons lard
1/4 cup crushed chips (I used corn chips)
1 teaspoon lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all of the crust ingredients. Spread in a greased round baking pan (I use a 11 inch stoneware baking pan). You may need to add a teaspoon or two of water (before spreading in the pan) for easier spreading. Bake in preheated oven for about 9 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.

2. For the sauce, combine the brown sugar, milk and lard. Stir until dissolved, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the extract and chips. Beat until thick, and spread on the crust.


Notes:
*You may need to add a little water if the dough is too thick to spread in the pan.
**For the milk in the topping I used some "cream cheese" that my sister made, that didn't turn out right - it was really thin (it smelled like cream cheese, it just was too thin to hang), so we used it in baking.




~ Hanunyah