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Peanut brittle
Published: 12/16/2008 11:19 AM
Last Modified: 12/16/2008 11:19 AM


Charlotte Smith's peanut brittle.

I'm jealous of my friend, Charlotte.

She makes the absolute best peanut brittle. The best.

And she doesn't need a cookbook or even a candy thermometer to make it.

When I make candy, I am by the book, double-checking each line before adding the next ingredient. And I wouldn't dream of making candy without a thermometer. I check it, check it and check it again, waiting until it says the magic number for soft-ball or hard-crack stage.

Charlotte is so generous. She takes two days off work every year to make candy for her friends and family. This year she made her famous peanut brittle and fudge.

When I told her that a lot of people use short-cuts to make fudge anymore, she just shook her head. No shortcuts in her kitchen.

So without a candy thermometer, how does she know when the peanut brittle is done?

"I can tell by the sound and the smell," she said.

And, she warns, when cookbooks tell you to cook something until golden brown, be careful.

"There's a real fine line between brown and BROWN," she said.

These are the tips you won't find in a book, just from a well-seasoned, instinctual cook.... the best kind of cook.


Reader Comments 1 Total
Cooper (4 years ago)
Natalie,
You are absolutely correct. Charlotte makes the very best peanut brittle. I am one of the fortunate coworkers who she gives her fudge and peanut brittle to every year. She's amazing. Too bad not everyone can receive this gift.

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Taste

Food Writer Nicole Marshall Middleton joined the Tulsa World in May 1993 after graduating from Oklahoma State University. She has covered crime, city government and general assignment beats during that time - but mostly crime. But when she isn’t at work, Nicole is a devoted food hobbyist. She enjoys meal planning and cooking with her husband, Steve, every day of the week and on holidays it’s a family affair. When the opportunity to become the food writer at the Tulsa World presented itself in the summer of 2011, Nicole jumped at it. She is excited to explore a new side of Tulsa and make the transition from crime to cuisine. .

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