IS IT REALLY SOFT?
Despite the name, we're often asked "is your brittle actually soft?". YES. It's light and flaky, and melts in your mouth. It is 100% guaranteed not to break your teeth!! And as you eat a bag of it, the crumbs will make the most amazing topping over ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, and more! It's so yummy that we even crush the brittle candy and sell it as dessert topping shakers in both peanut and chocolate hazelnut varieties.
WHO INVENTED SOFT PEANUT BRITTLE?
We've noticed some confectioners (who have been around the industry for many years) make indirect claims to have been the ones to first make soft peanut brittle. Certainly, we're newer to the industry so we don't claim to have come up with it (even though we believe with our process that ours is superior in both taste and texture). We've had customers tell us stories about their "grandmother in Thailand" making soft peanut brittle, and several people have told us about their grandparents in the deep south making soft brittle. So the answer is that no one really knows where it originated. We just believe ours is the best. And we think you'll agree!
But to the question of who invented chocolate hazelnut soft brittle, apple brandy toffee, caramel macchiato bark, cinnamon whisky toffee, and triple chocolate hazelnut espresso bark? WE DID. Many long hours and painstaking trial-and-error with ingredients and cooking chemical reactions and processes...but these fantastic delicacies are Robinson Soft Brittle original recipes!
WHAT PORTIONS SHOULD I PLAN?
- A family gathering where a meal is served
About a pound of brittle per 4-5 people if you want a bit left over. 6-8 people per pound if you want it to disappear. (but get more if there are ANY teenagers in the group) - A social gathering where plenty of other food and treats will be served (potluck, family bbq, etc)
Two pounds broken into 1/2-ounce pieces on a serving tray (64 pieces total) works great for 25-30 people. Again, the more kids and teens are present, the faster the candy goes. - A game night with your friends where this is the primary treat and everyone is sugar-crazy...(especially if it's a long night of poker, Bunco, or an extended role playing game quest).
Be safe and bring a pound for every 2-3 people. Your friends will thank you for it.
WHAT SPECIFIC ALLERGENS ARE IN YOUR CANDY?
Well...everything we produce is in a facility that makes peanut candy. However, we are fastidious about cleaning utensils and surfaces, and nothing else is produced on peanut brittle cooking days. We also have staff with life-threatening tree nut allergies, so we are also very careful about walnuts, hazelnut oil, and other allergens.
Here's a list of our candy and potential "major" allergens:
Soft Peanut Brittle: Peanuts
Chocolate Hazelnut Soft Brittle: Dairy, Hazelnut Oil, Soy (soy lecithin and Hazelnuts in the Nutella®)
Apple Brandy Toffee: Dairy, Soy (soy lecithin), walnuts
Cinnamon Whisky Toffee: Dairy, Soy (soy lecithin)
S'Mores Bark: Gluten, Dairy, Soy (soy lecithin)
Chocolate Hazelnut Soft Brittle: Dairy, Hazelnut Oil, Soy (soy lecithin and Hazelnuts in the Nutella®)
Apple Brandy Toffee: Dairy, Soy (soy lecithin), walnuts
Cinnamon Whisky Toffee: Dairy, Soy (soy lecithin)
S'Mores Bark: Gluten, Dairy, Soy (soy lecithin)
Salted Caramel Bark: Dairy & Soy (soy lecithin)
Peppermint Bark: Dairy & Soy (soy lecithin)
Hazelnut Espresso Bark: Dairy, Hazelnut Oil, Soy (soy lecithin)
Caramel Macchiato Bark: Dairy & Soy (soy lecithin)
Mexican Hot Chocolate Bark: Dairy & Soy (soy lecithin)
Mexican Hot Chocolate Bark: Dairy & Soy (soy lecithin)
HOW DO I STORE SOFT PEANUT BRITTLE, BARK, OR TOFFEE?
It is also heat-stable (a bag of it sitting in our black SUV during a 95 degree summer day didn't melt...but it DID make our car smell absolutely delicious!). In all seriousness...sitting in a hot car WILL make it get a bit softer, and as it gets softer it will become more "candy bar" chewy than "light and flaky"...but the taste quality will not change one bit.
In fact, soft peanut soft brittle is considered non-perishable and can be shipped internationally (we provide an affidavit to this effect for customs on international shipments). We have shipped so far to Canada and the EU, and with the customs declaration we provide it just sails through customs without delay!
Store our soft brittle in a closed bag (sealed as tightly as possible) in a dry place. For extended storage use a sealed/zip-loc bag for best freshness. Avoid high-humidity storage conditions (no refrigeration or sitting out in front of a room AC) as flaky sugar candy will become more dense (and becomes chewy) as it absorbs moisture from the air.
Chocolate-Hazelnut soft brittle, because it has chocolate and dairy, should be stored in airtight container in cool, dry place.
Chocolate bark and toffee...well, if left in a hot car is going to turn into a puddle of delicious goo in short order. Best stored in cool, dry place (75F or lower). Chocolate can also be refrigerated or frozen, but must be in airtight container because chocolate WILL absorb odors from other nearby foods. Do not refrigerate or freeze toffee.
SHELF LIFE
Soft Peanut Brittle: If stored as advised above, 6-8 months
Chocolate Hazelnut Soft Brittle: As above, 4-6 months
Chocolate Bark: As above, up to a year.
Toffee: As above, around 3-4 months.
Chocolate Hazelnut Soft Brittle: As above, 4-6 months
Chocolate Bark: As above, up to a year.
Toffee: As above, around 3-4 months.
ENGLISH TOFFEE vs. AMERICAN TOFFEE
English Toffee dates back to the early 1800's. It consists of brown
sugar and butter (occasionally with added rum) in a caramelized form.
"American
Toffee" is made with granulated white sugar (Almond Roca, Heath Candy
Bar, and the majority of toffee you will find in the USA). This toffee,
rolled in chocolate and nuts is actually called "butter crunch"...an
American invention by English immigrant William Loft made in New York
City in 1860.
Interesting tidbit: Loft's company became the world's
largest maker and seller of candy by the 1920's, even owning the
Pepsi-Cola Corporation at one point before several decades of decline
resulted in their final demise in the 1990's.
Traditional English Toffee (as
we use in the base layer of our toffee creations) does not usually have
nuts mixed in, as part of the delight of a true English butter toffee
is the smoothness of the texture. It should neither be hard to bite
into, nor should it ever be grainy. It may be softer and chewy (as
you'll find with several British imported brands) or have a lightly
crunchy texture (like ours) that melts in your mouth. It will often be
topped with chocolate or nuts.
With our family's lineage dating back to a knight who
rode in battle with William the Conqueror in 1066, we wanted to remain
true to the traditional form of this delightful delicacy. We believe you'll agree that our English Toffee is simply amazing.
