Thursday Thoughts…26th January 2023…Australia Day, Vesna Vulovic fell 33,300 ft and survived…Walnut Brittle…

Welcome to “Thursday Thoughts…today is January 26th 2023…I have always believed that no matter what happens that when your time is up it’s up…Did you know that on this day on January 26th 1972, flight attendant Vesna Vulović survived the world’s highest recorded fall and fell into the Guinness book of records?

She fell 33,330 feet without a parachute and survived!

Australia Day: is a celebration of different cultures, races, religions, beliefs, and views…In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Australia Day. Referred to as Invasion Day by some First Nations people…

Outdoor concerts, community barbecues, sports competitions, festivals and fireworks are some of the many events held in communities across Australia…the beaches and parks will be heaving and the barbies will be fired up …

I would like to wish my family and friends a Happy Australia Day…

In 1988 “Phantom of the Opera” opens at Majestic Theater, NYC; runs for 4,000+ performances…this is one of my favourite musicals…

January 26th is also National Peanut Brittle Day…Filled with peanuts, almonds, or pecans, this classic candy is a timeless treat …with a crunch that comes from salty roasted nuts embedded in a buttery hard sugar bark and broken into multiple pieces, it’s delicious…there are multiple theories as to its origins and I’m sure that many of you could tell one of them how it’s passed down through the family…

One such theory is it was originally a traditional Celtic dessert. Celts are thought to have served the brittle during holidays, supporting the theory that peanut brittle began in Europe. It’s said that they made the bark by baking a mix of sugar and peanut butter. The candy then made its way from Europe to America in the 1830s by way of Irish settlers coming to the New World.

For me it’s all about adding baking soda that releases multiple air bubbles, giving the candy that delicate and porous texture you look for in a delicious brittle…its not particularly healthy although I do use a good quality maple syrup which is better than corn syrup however a little of what you fancy does you good…so enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup real maple syrup
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup butter, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups walnut pieces,, toasted…or nuts of your choice.
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda.
  • Coarse salt such as Maldon salt(optional)

.Let’s Cook!

  1. Firstly toast your walnuts: Add walnuts to a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly until walnuts are fragrant and beginning to brown. Immediately remove from the skillet to a plate to cool. Set aside.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. Then in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stir together the maple syrup, white sugar, butter, and water until melted and creamy. Once the mixture comes to a boil, do not stir any more (you can gently swirl the pan, if you feel it needs it). Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and continue to gently boil until the candy thermometer reaches 300°F or the “hard crack” stage. Immediately stir in baking soda and be careful as it will foam then add your walnuts and stir well to combine.
  4. Then very carefully pour the hot brittle mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out into a thin layer with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle top with a bit of coarse salt, such as Maldon if desired.
  5. Note: Sugar at this temperature is extremely hot and will give you a nasty burn so please be careful…
Allow to cool completely. Break into large pieces and store in an airtight container…mine
generally doesn’t get as far as storage as they are like vultures here-smile-
Thank you for joining me today for Thursday Thoughts as always I look forward to your
comments…xx

27 thoughts on “Thursday Thoughts…26th January 2023…Australia Day, Vesna Vulovic fell 33,300 ft and survived…Walnut Brittle…”

  1. Pingback: CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…22nd-28th January 2023-Monday Musings , #Fiji A-Z of World Cuisine, Thursday Thoughts, Walnut Brittle and from Sally #The Brain and its functions Dementia and Alzheimer’s… | Retired? No one told me!

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I know its nothing short of miraculous, Jennie it apparently is the fact the angle of the way the part of the plane she was in landed plus I read that her BP was low and prevented her heart from bursting on impact it seems a series of lucky circumstances meant she survived..enjoy your weekend and your peanut brittle, Jennie x

      Liked by 1 person

  4. koolkosherkitchen

    Love The Phantom!
    Of course, there was a variation of nuts or seeds brittle in Russia, but my father (the dentist) never allowed it to be made or brought into the house. I totally missed out on this one.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Maybe it will get a revival some day😊… Fudge is our thing and coconut ice quicker to make no sugar thermometer required-smile-
      However nut brittle always goes down well and disappear​s​ fast…

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen

        Mom was obsessed with making fudge when I was a kid. My aunt, her sister, made the best, and my mom was always trying to compete, in a friendly was of course. Mom wasn’t as patient as Aunt Jeanette, so she never let the sugar bubble long enough. I joke that I was 13 before I realized you weren’t supposed to eat fudge on a spoon…

        Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I only really knew as my daughter lives there and it’s a big celebration there…even the Aussies here made a day of it and lit the BBQs…I too love Phantom it is one of my favourites, Robbie 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      It does​, John my mum used make​ far more sweet things like brittle than I do… I tend to make things to reminsce and then not make it any more although fudge gets an outing far more as does coconut ice… 😊😎

      Like

  8. D. Wallace Peach

    Over 33,000 feet is an incredible fall. I can’t imagine how she survived it, other than with the help of angels. Wow. And interesting to me that Australia Day is also “invasion day” in some minds. (We have the same challenge here with Columbus Day which many people have replaced with Indigenous People’s Day. And thanks for the peanut brittle recipe. Oh, so much delicious sugar. Lol. I won’t be making that one. 🙂 Fun post, Carol.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Hi Diana…yes lots of sugar so not something I make often..yes it was all about the angle of landing plus apparently her BP was slow which stopped her heart from exploding on impact ..ewww now that’s a grizzly thought isn’t it?.. Yes, often these days come about when initially it was about invasion as you say weird…Have a great weekend Diana 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Sue Dreamwalker

    wow.. so many things happening on Jan 26th. 🙂
    love the recipe too…. We used to make peanut brittle.. 🙂 with salted peanuts instead of walnuts. 🙂
    Have a great rest of your week Carol xx

    Liked by 1 person

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