Mammam's Peanut Brittle

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I enjoyed a local craft fair yesterday with a group of friends.  The weather was just perfect and we had a great time.  Along with the craft booths was the usual array of food vendors with items that smell heavenly, but that you should eat only once-in-a-while!  There were fried potato strings, Indian Tacos, funnel cakes  and fudge!  

  Seeing and smelling all of the fair-type foods made our conversation turn to cooking.  We each had favorite recipes that our moms and grandmas made in the fall or for holidays.  Amongst the goodies mentioned were peanut brittle, fudge, fried pies, popcorn balls...and one I'd never heard of...Popcorn cake (for Christmas)!

  So, I thought I would share my Mammam's recipe for peanut brittle today because it's delicious and I have fond fall memories of it.

Mammam's Peanut Brittle

2 C sugar

1 C white Karol Syrup

1/2 C water

1/2 stick of butter

2 C raw peanuts

1 scant tsp. baking soda

Stir all ingredients together in a heavy pot.  Boil until candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees.  Take off the heat and stir in the baking soda.  Turn out fast onto cookie sheets with edges (fills 1 large and 1 small). Enjoy!

The Holiday Candy Book from 1952

  I've got a great candy-making book to share with you!  Before the days and weekends start getting really busy with holiday activities, let's look through our cookbooks for those candy recipes that we want to make.

  This book from my collection was written in 1952 by Virginia Pasley.  It's full of recipes for brittles, fudge, spiced nuts, taffy...all the goodies that make holidays yummy!

  The inside cover is definitely a throwback to the fifties with pastel-colored candies as a decorative touch.  I think you would find this book useful if you like homemade sweets.  It was published by Little, Brown and Company of Boston.

  (Note the illustration of the old candy thermometer matches the one in my kitchen drawer!)

  

Blackberry Spice Cake

I've had a busy week!  In the midst of the hustle and bustle, I made a Bundt cake.  I had promised to bring dessert to a luncheon with some neighbors.  I chose to make my Blackberry Spice Cake and took vanilla frozen yogurt to put on the side.  I was asked to share the recipe, so I'm sharing it on here :)

Blackberry Spice Cake

1 box of Spice Cake Mix

3 eggs

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 (21 oz.) can blackberry pie filling

1 C chopped walnuts (or Black Walnuts!)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare Bundt pan.  Combine cake mix, eggs and oil in a large bowl.  Pour in chopped nuts and canned pie filling and cinnamon.  Stir until thoroughly combined.  Pour into bake pan.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan a few minutes.  Invert onto cake plate.  Cool completely.  (I put a light vanilla glaze over the top.)