Brittle likely originated when the ancients from China, the Mideast, Egypt, India Greece, Rome and elsewhere coated fruits, nuts and seeds with honey. The honey was tasty, healthy, and an excellent preservative. Flash forward to the USA in the early 1900s. Brittle was a popular treat, with a variety of nuts, such as walnuts, coconuts, peanuts, of course, and even filberts. As for the sweeteners that bound them: molasses, sugar, corn syrup, butter, and, of course, honey. These brittles were considered a perfect candy, especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Celebratory events made even better with the brittle’s sweetness.
Want to try for yourself? Here’s a recipe for peanut brittle, aka “groundnut”, from Sarah Rutledge’s recipe book, "The Carolina Housewife” published in 1847. The recipe or “Receipt” as they called it was aptly called “Excellent Receipt for Groundnut Candy”
"To one quart or molasses add half a pint of brown sugar and a quarter of a pound of butter; boil it for half an hour over a slow fire; then put in a quart of groundnuts, parched and shelled; boil for a quarter of an hour, and then pour it into a shallow tin pan to harden."
Find more in Susan’s book “Sweet as Sin”.
