I have to begin with saying that I am not sure that “caramelized peanuts” accurately describes those treats. When I think of caramel, I immediately think of something brown, moderately sticky and yummy. These peanuts miss a little bit of the stickiness factor, but none of the yummy factor! They are usually sold in markets or by the side of the road in West Africa. I had actually never done them myself until I decided that such a treat needed to be shared with our tropical foodies readers, so I went and dug out a recipe.
Caramelized Peanuts
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| Serves | 2 |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Meal type | Snack |
Ingredients
- 1 cup of (lightly) salted peanuts
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of water
- a few drops of vanilla
Directions
| 1. | Put the sugar and the water in a pan with high walls. Place it on the stove on low heat until the sugar is dissolved |
| 2. | Once the sugar is dissolved, that is when you get a clear liquid, add the peanuts and let the mixture simmer |
| 3. | Once the mixture gets thicker, start turning vigorously with a wooden spoon |
| 4. | Turn until all the water has evaporated and the mixture has dried up. It will look sandy. It may take a little while, 10-15min or so, but keep turning, the mixture will dry up eventually . Your peanuts will be enrobed more or less evenly with sugar crystals. |
| 5. | Transfer the peanuts to a platter, and let them cool |
| 6. | There might be some left over sugar at the bottom of your pan |
| 7. | Store in an airtight container |
| 8. | I have to confess that the first time I tried to make this snack, I completely messed it up, because I was not patient enough and did not wait for the sugar syrup to dry up. So don’t make the same mistake, and wait for the peanuts to be ready, it will be worth it! |
Recipe (adapted from http://www.alicepegie.fr/cuisine/2452-arachides-caramelisees.html)
Tips: I have to confess that the first time I tried to make this snack, I completely messed it up, because I was not patient enough and did not wait for the sugar syrup to dry up. So don’t make the same mistake, and wait for the peanuts to be ready, it will be worth it!
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