Recipes

Spicy Peanut Brittle Candy

Special Thua Tat

Peanut brittle infused with fried lemongrass, kaffir lime, chili, and fresh lime

Prep

30 min

Cook

15 min

Serves

4

Heat

medium

This candy takes the concept of peanut brittle somewhere unexpected, applying the tom yum spice profile — lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, chili — of a popular packaged Thai snack to a homemade hard candy base. The herbs get fried separately until crisp before being folded into hot coconut sugar syrup along with the peanuts, and a final squeeze of fresh lime juice over the still-warm candy adds a last burst of sourness that cuts through the sweetness. The result reads as sweet at first bite, with the spicy, herbal, and sour notes building in after, an unusual but genuinely balanced candy.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Roasted and salted peanuts
• 1 cup Coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon Galangal root (peeled and grated)
• 1 tablespoon Lemongrass (sliced)
• 1 tablespoon Garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons Kaffir lime leaves (center stems removed, cut into thin strips)
• 8 Sun-dried Thai chilies (halved, seeded, cut into irregular pieces)
• 1 teaspoon Tamarind paste
• 1 Lime
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup Vegetable oil (for frying the herbs)
• 1/4 cup Water

Directions

1. Peel and grate the galangal. Slice the lemongrass. Grind the lemongrass, galangal, and garlic together into a rough, pulpy paste.
2. Remove the center stems from the kaffir lime leaves and slice into thin strips. Halve the dried chilies, remove the seeds, and chop into rough, irregular pieces — not too fine.
3. Heat the oil in a small pan over low heat. Fry the herb paste until lightly crispy, then pour through a strainer, shaking well, and drain on paper towels.
4. Using the same oil, fry the kaffir lime leaves for about 5 seconds — they cook fast, so remove them quickly to avoid burning. Strain and drain as before.
5. Fry the chopped dried chilies the same way, for about 5 seconds, then strain and drain — they burn easily.
6. Brush a baking sheet with a thin coat of oil, or line with a silicone mat.
7. In a large pot over low heat, warm the water and add the coconut sugar. Stir until fully dissolved and it starts to boil gently, keeping the heat low so it doesn't scorch. Stir in the salt and tamarind paste.
8. Slowly raise the heat until the sugar syrup reaches about 250°F (120°C) on a candy thermometer, or test by dropping a little into very cold water — it should harden immediately.
9. Add the peanuts and stir well; the mixture will cool briefly, so keep stirring until it heats back up.
10. Raise the heat, add the fried herbs, kaffir lime, and chili, and stir for about 15 seconds. Turn off the heat.
11. Pour the candy onto the prepared baking sheet and spread until about one peanut thick throughout.
12. Squeeze the fresh lime evenly over the hot candy in small droplets. Let cool, then refrigerate until very cold.
13. Once cold, flip the liner over and break the candy into pieces with a mallet.
14. Serve right away, or store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Sprinkle extra fried kaffir lime and chili on top for a nice presentation.

Notes

Fry the kaffir lime and chili for only a few seconds each and pull them immediately — both burn within moments of being ready, turning bitter if left even slightly too long.

Substitutions

Cashews can be used in place of some or all of the peanuts. Reduce or omit the sun-dried Thai chilies for a milder candy.