I'm not on Recipe Exchange very often, but I remember last year's discussion on Cooking.

Anyway, here's a clip of my post from last December. This recipe is on the internet, but I found the most helpful version with the clearest instructions in my old Farm Journal Candy cookbook. They describe it as an "heirloom recipe."

RE: Peanut Brittle Recipe--Sugar and Nuts only?? (Follow-Up #5)
posted by: readinglady on 12.29.2006 at 04:00 am in Cooking Forum

One factor in cloudy brittle is the nuts. If they're chopped on a cutting board rather than broken and then the chopped nuts are added to the brittle, the small dusty bits obscure the clarity. That's not the only cause, but it can be a factor.

Here's the recipe I was thinking of:
Slovakian Nut Candy
1 cup ground or finely chopped nuts
1 cup sugar

Put nuts through food chopper and measure before starting to melt sugar. Place sugar in a 10" heavy skillet and stir over medium heat until it melts and turns a light golden brown. Remove from heat at once.

Stir in nuts and pour onto buttered board. Roll with buttered rolling pin until very thin (17 1/2"x6"). Cut at once in strips 2" wide. Loosen strips from board with buttered spatula and cut with sharp knife on the diagonal to make diamonds. Makes 1/2 pound.

My note: If the nuts are gently warmed in the oven and then added to the candy, it slows the setting time and gives the cook a little more leeway in working with the sugar syrup.

Carol

Thanks so much readinglady, that's exactly what I was looking for.

I'm glad to help. If you do decide to make it, let us know how it turns out.

P.S. Some versions add a pinch of salt and a little vanilla.

Carol