Brittle Better Made On Stove

Dear Merri Lou: My friend and I have been looking for a softer (not so crisp) peanut butter peanut brittle. If you have one, we would really appreciate it. Oh, yes, we would like it to be a microwave recipe. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Mrs. P. Page, Spokane.

Dear Mrs. Page: Tony Weiner of Brittle Business Ltd. in New York City says there are too many variables to make a soft brittle in the microwave. A faithful Notebook reader recommends a recipe featured here several times over the years, which follows. Be sure to butter the cookie sheet and measure all ingredients before starting, and work quickly once the syrup reaches the hard-crack stage. Use the larger amount of peanut butter if your brand is soft and creamy, less if your brand is stiff and thick.

Peanut Butter Brittle

2 cups salted peanuts

2 to 2-1/2 cups peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

1-1/2 cups light corn syrup

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix peanuts, peanut butter and vanilla; set aside.

Combine sugar and water in heavy saucepan. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in corn syrup. Cook to hard-crack stage, or 300 degrees.

Remove syrup from heat; immediately add peanut butter mixture. Stir in baking soda. Pour onto buttered cookie sheet; quickly spread with fork. Cool; break into pieces.

Yield: 2-1/2-3 pounds, about 40 pieces.

Nutrition analysis per each of 40 servings: 209 calories, 11.6 grams fat (50 percent fat calories), 6 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 142 milligrams sodium.

Dear Merri Lou: Would you have a recipe for Pumpkin Fudge? Hope so. Thank you. - Loraine, Spokane

Dear Merri Lou: Do you know of a Pumpkin Fudge recipe? My mother is interested in making some for the holidays. Thanks. - Karla, via e-mail

Dear Loraine and Karla: I tried three different recipes before finding this gem. It’s a winner!

Pumpkin Fudge

From the Pillsbury Central site on the World Wide Web (www.pillsbury.com).

5-1/2 ounces evaporated milk (not skim)

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 (11-ounce) package butterscotch chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme

Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan.

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine milk, sugar, butter, pumpkin and spices. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat. Boil over medium heat until mixture reads 234 degrees on a candy thermometer (should take about 25 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir in butterscotch chips until melted. Add vanilla, nuts and marshmallow creme. Mix until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Cool at room temperature. Cut into squares. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator.

Yield: About 3 pounds or 30 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 246 calories, 11.48 grams fat (42 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 36 grams carbohydrate, 15 milligrams cholesterol, 83 milligrams sodium.

Dear Merri Lou: Recently I had the tomato soup in the Silver Grill at the Ridpath Hotel. I would love to know how they made it. It looks like the tomato soup we can get from a well-known brand, but it was so much better. Thanking you, - Ruth, Spokane

Dear Ruth: This wonderful soup sure beats anything from a can. Jason Young, executive chef at the Ridpath Hotel, happily provided this recipe, which is his own. Enjoy!

Silver Grill Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/8 teaspoon tarragon

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon oregano

Pinch chili flakes

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cans (15 ounces each) diced pear tomatoes, drained well (3 cups tomatoes)

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1/4 cup blond roux (see note)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and herbs. Cook the mixture, stirring every few minutes. Continue cooking until onions are shiny and translucent.

Add the tomatoes and stock; simmer for 30 minutes. With an immersion or regular blender (if you use a regular blender, blend 1 cup of hot soup at a time) puree soup until smooth. Whisk in roux until soup is lightly thickened. Add cream, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 205 calories, 13 grams fat (57 percent fat calories), 5 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrate, 27 milligrams cholesterol, 810 milligrams sodium.

Note: To make roux, heat 1/2 cup oil over moderate heat until it just reaches smoking point. Remove from heat and add 1 cup flour. Whisk vigorously. Stir with wooden spoon and cook over medium high heat until roux turns blond color, about 5 minutes. Measure 1/4 cup for recipe.

, DataTimes MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian in Spokane, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210, or e-mail to merrid@spokesman.com. As many letters as possible will be answered in this column; sorry, no individual replies.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Merri Lou Dobler The Spokesman-Review