Walnut Brittle Syrupy Sundae Topping

So, I had this brilliant idea this year to make Cooking Light’s Walnut Brittle Recipe as Christmas gifts. It’s not “good” for you, but it’s not so terribly bad for you as candy goes. I thought it was a good compromise.

Well, the kids and I worked on it…we followed the instructions to a T, except I didn’t have a candy thermometer…when we were done, it didn’t harden like it was supposed to. I thought maybe I missed something, so I stuck it in the freezer. I then left it out and guess what, still not solid. So, I put it into the oven and baked it for a few minutes. It got deliciously hot and bubbly, but it didn’t harden. It has the consistency of honey. It looks like Smucker’s Walnuts in Syrup.

So, once it cooled, I poured it all into a container and refrigerated it. After a bit of thought, I decided to put it into jars and give it away as syrup instead. Once refrigerated, it acts like cold honey…hard to pour. This has turned into an epic adventure by now.

Megan and I went to the grocery store and bought a lot of baby food. Those 4 oz jars are the perfect size.

Last night I started filling the jars (it took a few days to use and then clean out the baby food! And we don’t have any babies in the house anymore! My homemade dog food just got a step easier). In another couple of days, they’ll be all done and I can wrap them up to give out to people (if I can bear to part with them).

The moral of the story – use a candy thermometer when making candy. Fortunately, the Walnut Brittle Syrupy Sundae Topping tastes divine, even if it’s not hard and brittle. I bought a candy thermometer this weekend. I'm armed for next year now!