Chipotle Maple Peanut Brittle

All of a sudden this stuff is everywhere. Just call me a sheep, but I decided to try it since I thought John would really like it. Truthfully I had no expectations of liking it myself–I have never been a big brittle fan.

Well call me misguided and crazy because this stuff is AWESOME.

I first saw it over at The Life & Loves Of Grumpy’s Honeybunch. Then Joe, of Culinary In The Country, posted it on the CLBB, and he was the one to sub out half the light corn syrup with maple syrup. I love maple with chipotle, so I made it his way. Here’s his post on the topic.

Even Alex is eating this stuff–albeit with a glass of milk–so I would encourage you to try this even if you dislike heat. On the other hand, if you really want it spicy, I recommend adding some cayenne in addition to the chipotle. As is, it is a pleasantly smoky slight burn.

I did not make any changes to the actual recipe, but I did discover some things as a first time brittle maker that are not in the recipe. First of all, the recipe says to use a cookie sheet–well I tried with a jelly roll pan for the first batch, and had a horrible time trying to roll the brittle out. None of my rolling pins worked well on the cookie sheet. The second time I used a rimless cookie sheet and it worked much better. I would probably use a cutting board if I only owned jelly roll pans. Second, although the recipe reads as though everything at the end must be done very quickly, do not remove the top parchment paper until the brittle has hardened a bit or you will remove half the brittle–as I did the first time. The second time I just peeled a tiny corner of the parchment away until I saw it was coming up mostly cleanly, and then I peeled it off.

Joe notes–and I agree– to make sure to use salted roasted peanuts as they are the only salt in the recipe.

Chipotle Maple Peanut Brittle
Adapted from Culinary In The Country & Cooking Light

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 T butter
2 1/2 cups (320 grams) roasted salted peanuts
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t chipotle chile powder

In a medium to large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup and butter. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until a candy thermometer registers 275 degrees. Add peanuts and cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 295 degrees. Remove pan from the heat and stir in baking soda and chile powder.

Working quickly, but carefully, pour the mixture out onto a large, rimless baking sheet lined with parchment paper and coated with cooking spray. Cover candy with another sheet of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to quickly roll mixture to an even thickness. Wait a few moments for the candy to set, and then remove top sheet of parchment (check corner first to make sure it is removing cleanly) and set baking sheet onto a wire rack to let candy cool completely. Break into pieces.