Mexican cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Palanqueta de Cacahuate

Roasted peanut brittle made from dark piloncillo, poured out thin and broken into shards once cooled.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 300 g peanuts (shelled, unsalted)
• 250 g piloncillo (or brown sugar)
• 80 ml water
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 5–6 min., stirring, until light brown and fragrant, then set aside.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and have a rolling pin ready nearby – once the syrup is poured, everything must move very fast.
3. Roughly chop the piloncillo and dissolve with the water in a heavy pot over medium heat while stirring, then add the lime juice and stop stirring.
4. Boil the syrup uncovered for 8–10 min., until it is dark and viscous and a drop in cold water sets instantly hard and glassy.
5. Stir in butter and salt, immediately fold in the warm peanuts and pour the mixture in one motion onto the parchment, rolling it out thin with the rolling pin.
6. Let cool completely for about 20 min., then break into irregular shards; stored airtight, the brittle stays crisp for weeks.