The Secret Recipe Club - Chinese 5 Spice Peanut Brittle

It's The Secret Recipe Club time again!!  This month we got a great blog Tami's Kitchen Table Talk.....this was really nice and exciting since Tami is also our Group D Hostess!  As I looked through her blog I found so many different recipes that I wanted to make but when I saw this recipe for Chinese 5 Spice Peanut Brittle I knew I HAD to make it.  Nanci and I have been talking about finding a good recipe for peanut brittle so it was a no brainer when I came across Tami's recipe.  I really love addition of Chinese 5 Spice into the peanut brittle.  Chinese 5 Spice is a combination of Szechuan peppercorns, Star Anise, Fennel, Cinnamon and Cloves. I'm a huge fan of Sweet and Savory so I couldn't wait to try it.  Also this brittle is made solely in the microwave, what could be easier than that?  I was right, it was easy and super delicious.  Everyone who tried it LOVED it.  I'm very excited to find this recipe and I'm already trying to concoct other ways to make "brittle" using this method.  Maybe pistachio brittle or curried almond brittle the combinations are endless.  Thank you Tami for letting us make something from your blog, it was a lot of fun and very yummy!

Ingredients:

½ C. light corn syrup

1 C. white sugar
1 C. dry roasted peanuts
¾ tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp baking soda

Preparation:

Make sure to measure all ingredients carefully. Very light grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Do not be tempted to oil the pan with a heavy hand because that will result in oily brittle.  I used the Reynolds Wrap Release Foil and it worked perfectly.  In a large glass bowl that will fit into the microwave, stir together the corn syrup, sugar, peanuts and 5 spice powder until thoroughly mixed together.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes.  Stir in the butter and microwave for an additional 30 seconds.  Remove from microwave and gently stir in baking soda until the mixture is light and foamy.  Now you need to work quickly!!  Using a rubber spatula that has been sprayed with cooking spray, scrape the mixture out onto the greased baking sheet. Smooth out to a thin layer and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.  Once cool, break the brittle into pieces and store in a well-sealed container.

Here's a variation we made with cashews and pistachios!  So delicious