More to come when I can get to the computer!
Was racking my brain all day on what to do for B day. Butter was my first thought. Then I thought Brussels Sprouts and quickly forgot that one. Bacon. Butter. Hmmm what to do. I remembered seeing a few different bacon candy items so I did a little searching and found this from CHOW. Sounds good but - no butter! Mine HAS to have butter. Another search brought me to this basic buttery cashew brittle. Better. Tweaked it up a bit by adding in bacon and pan roasting the cashews in butter the Mark Bittman way. Also exchanged Lyle's golden syrup for the corn syrup it called for because it's just better!
Yum. These will be on the Christmas candy menu I think from now on. Took them to poker night and they were a hit.
Buttery Bacon Cashew Brittle
1 pkg bacon
2- 3 tbsp brown sugar
3 cups cashews
3 tbsp butter
1 cup Lyle's golden syrup (or light karo if you can't get lyle's)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Heat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay out the bacon. Sprinkle brown sugar on the bacon. Roast in oven until well done. Will be glazed and sticky from the sugar. 15-20 minutes.
In the meantime melt 3 tbsp of butter in a large skillet. Add the cashews and stirring frequently over med low heat cook until golden brown. This will also take about 15 minutes. Spread out the nuts onto a backing sheet to cool.
In a large deep saucepan combine the syrup, sugar, water and butter. Stir continuously until it comes to a boil. Attach candy thermometer and cook, stirring often over med-high heat til it reaches 275, soft crack stage. While it is heating chop the nuts and bacon into small pieces. When it reaches 275 add the nuts and bacon pieces. Continue to heat, stirring frequently until it reaches 295, hard crack. It will get foamy looking and rise up in the pan so make sure your pan is deep. Remove from heat at 295, quickly stir in the baking soda and combine well. This will cause it to foam up even more so be ready. Pour onto cookie sheets that have been well buttered. Once it's started to set up a bit after about 20 minutes or so score with a knife or pizza cutter into squares or diamonds to make for easier breaking and more uniform pieces later.
Allow to cool completely. Enjoy! If any is left store it in an airtight container. Made two cookie sheets worth for me.
Pics will be added later when I can get a decent internet connection. Too slow right now, the perils of living in the boonies. Above is a montage made with one of my favorite apps, Diptic!
Was racking my brain all day on what to do for B day. Butter was my first thought. Then I thought Brussels Sprouts and quickly forgot that one. Bacon. Butter. Hmmm what to do. I remembered seeing a few different bacon candy items so I did a little searching and found this from CHOW. Sounds good but - no butter! Mine HAS to have butter. Another search brought me to this basic buttery cashew brittle. Better. Tweaked it up a bit by adding in bacon and pan roasting the cashews in butter the Mark Bittman way. Also exchanged Lyle's golden syrup for the corn syrup it called for because it's just better!
Yum. These will be on the Christmas candy menu I think from now on. Took them to poker night and they were a hit.
Buttery Bacon Cashew Brittle
1 pkg bacon
2- 3 tbsp brown sugar
3 cups cashews
3 tbsp butter
1 cup Lyle's golden syrup (or light karo if you can't get lyle's)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Heat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay out the bacon. Sprinkle brown sugar on the bacon. Roast in oven until well done. Will be glazed and sticky from the sugar. 15-20 minutes.
In the meantime melt 3 tbsp of butter in a large skillet. Add the cashews and stirring frequently over med low heat cook until golden brown. This will also take about 15 minutes. Spread out the nuts onto a backing sheet to cool.
In a large deep saucepan combine the syrup, sugar, water and butter. Stir continuously until it comes to a boil. Attach candy thermometer and cook, stirring often over med-high heat til it reaches 275, soft crack stage. While it is heating chop the nuts and bacon into small pieces. When it reaches 275 add the nuts and bacon pieces. Continue to heat, stirring frequently until it reaches 295, hard crack. It will get foamy looking and rise up in the pan so make sure your pan is deep. Remove from heat at 295, quickly stir in the baking soda and combine well. This will cause it to foam up even more so be ready. Pour onto cookie sheets that have been well buttered. Once it's started to set up a bit after about 20 minutes or so score with a knife or pizza cutter into squares or diamonds to make for easier breaking and more uniform pieces later.
Allow to cool completely. Enjoy! If any is left store it in an airtight container. Made two cookie sheets worth for me.
