Peanut Brittle with a Twist

In a world of ‘or’s, it seems we are always forced to choose between two pleasantries. Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or tea? Cookies or cake? The list goes on and on. This makes being a party host or guest extremely difficult at times, as you never know what will truly satiate the crowd. Before you know it, anxiety sets in and you watch two hours pass by as you scroll through Pinterest waiting to land on the *perfect* choice.

With my aunt’s peanut brittle recipe, you will never again experience the nervous sweats. Unlike traditional brittle that has its namesake’s texture, this peanut brittle is creamy and crunchy, salty and sweet, meaning it is doubly delicious. Plus, with few, inexpensive ingredients, it is extremely easy to make and store. It is my go-to party (and every-day-that-ends-in-Y) dessert, whether I am the one serving, bringing, or eating it.

This brittle lends itself nicely to experimentation. For the white chocolate, I typically use Nestle Toll House's premier white morsels, but I am looking forward to making it with either white chocolate bark, dark chocolate morsels (for an added bitterness), or butterscotch chips. Additionally, feel free to play around with the kind of peanut butter! Swap the creamy peanut butter for Nutella, Peanut Butter & Co.'s White Chocolate Wonderful, or even PB Crave's Raspberry, White Fudge, & Dark Chocolate peanut butter spread. The versatility of this brittle is nuts (pun intended).

So the next time someone asks you a “this or that” dessert question, simply offer them a piece of this peanut brittle. The answer lies in the twist.

Ingredients

• 1 lb white chocolate

• 10 oz peanut butter chips

• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

• 2 cups unsalted, dry roasted peanuts

• 2 cups unsalted pretzels, broken up

Recipe

1. Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter on low heat. If you prefer not to use a double boiler, combine a third of each ingredient in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 45 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir with a large spoon. Add the second third of the three ingredients and repeat. Add the final third and repeat. *Whether you are using a double boiler or microwave, be sure to not burn the chocolate*

2. Add the peanuts to the melted mixture. Stir to combine.

3. In a quart-sized ziploc bag, add in about three-four handfuls of the unsalted pretzels. Using the back of a measuring cup, a rolling pin, or anything hard, break up the pretzels into small pieces (a little less than fingernail-sized). *Do not crush completely. You want to make sure the pretzels are in pieces, not turned to pretzel dust.*

4. Pour 2 cups of the broken-up pretzels into the melted mixture. Stir to combine.

5. Line a 18” x 13” cookie sheet with wax paper. Pour combined mixture onto sheet. Using the back of your stirring spoon, spread mixture evenly. Thickness should be enough to keep the peanuts covered by the mixture.

6. Refrigerate until hard, typically 2 hours.

7. Break into pieces (~quarter-size to half-size of your palm). Seal in a lidded container - does not have to be refrigerated.

8. Serve and watch the crowd go wild.