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I know, I know this recipe sounds a little ... odd. Right? I mean really, curry in candy? But before you write off this recipe and click on over to another site, let me just share a bit about this unbelievably delicious candy...
Scott and I were sitting in front of the fire one chilly morning this past week. He was checking out the latest news on his iPad and I was looking through a pile of recipes I'd recently torn from magazines. One of the recipes that had intrigued me enough to tear it out was from Bon Appetit; Golden Cashew Curry Brittle. It sounded interesting but when I read the recipe it sounded sort of fussy; requiring a candy thermometer and the potential for the sugar crystalizing if not handled right. Not really something I wanted to explore at this time of the year when time is at a premium.
Suddenly, I had an idea. I remembered an old standby, super-simple, never-fail recipe for microwave peanut brittle. I jumped up, ran into the kitchen and started pulling out a few ingredients; sugar, corn syrup, cashews, butter and baking soda. Oh yeah, and curry.
Ten minutes later, Scott called out from the living room; "What in the world are you making out there that smells so good?
"Surprise!", I yelled back.
"Oh come on, tell me!"
"Nope!" I wasn't sure I was going to have success with this crazy idea, so I thought it best to hold off.
Five minutes later, (honestly, the whole process from start to finish takes less than 20 minutes), I was handing him a beautiful piece of cashew brittle. "What is it?" he asked.
"Easy Cashew Brittle" (I didn't tell him the curry part). He took one bite and his eyes lit up, "Wow, that's fantastic!".
That's what I thought too. And we weren't the only ones.
Since then, I've made six batches, getting the recipe just right for you. Of course, I couldn't keep all of that delicious candy around the house so I've been passing it out here, there and everywhere.
And everyone who's tried it has given rave reviews; even the peanut brittle aficionados that I happen to know.
Curry adds a wonderful, almost imperceptible depth of flavor in combination with the other ingredients. But it's there, and it's fun and it's super delicious.
So if you have twenty minutes to spare, whip up a batch of this amazing, sweet confection. Don't tell anyone the name till they've take a bite. Then they'll be sold and it won't matter what you call it!
P.S. This makes wonderful little gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers, etc.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 1 cup roasted salted cashew halves*
- ¾ teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
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Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spray a heat-resistant spatula with cooking spray. Spray the lip of a microwave-safe (at least 2 quart) bowl with cooking spray.
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Combine sugar, and corn syrup in the microwave-safe bowl prepared in step 1.
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Cook for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir.
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Cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from microwave, add cashews and curry powder and stir.
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Return to microwave and cook for another two minutes. Remove from microwave and add butter and vanilla. Stir until butter is completely incorporated. Add baking soda and stir to combine. The mixture will foam up. Quickly pour mixture out onto prepared sheet pan and spread as thin as possible using prepared knife.
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Allow to cool slightly. While still hot, but cool enough to handle, stretch candy out a bit thinner. Allow to cool completely then break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
*I buy the cans that are labeled halves and pieces. They're less expensive than halves. I really like the ones with sea salt.
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