Brittle is a type of confection consisting of flat broken pieces of hard sugar candy embedded with nuts such as pecans, almonds, or peanuts,[1] and which are usually less than 1 cm thick.
In parts of the Middle East, brittle is made with pistachios,[10] while many Asian countries use sesame seeds and peanuts.[11] Peanut brittle is the most popular brittle recipe in the United States.[12] The term "brittle" in the context of the food first appeared in print in 1892, though the candy itself has been around for much longer.[13]
Preparation of American peanut brittle
Traditionally, a mixture of sugar and water is heated to the hard crack stage corresponding to a temperature of approximately 146 to 154 °C (295 to 309 °F), although some recipes also call for ingredients such as glucose and salt in the first step.[14] Nuts are mixed with the caramelized sugar. At this point spices, leavening agents, and often peanut butter or butter are added. The hot candy is poured out onto a flat surface for cooling, traditionally a granite, a marble slab or a baking sheet. The hot candy may be troweled to uniform thickness. When the brittle is cool enough to handle, it is broken into pieces.[15] It is also rare to break the brittle into equal pieces.
Nougatine
Nougatine is a similar confection to brittle, but made of sliced almonds instead of whole peanuts, which are embedded in clear caramel.[16]
