Pé de moleque is a Brazilian candy of roasted peanuts packed into a dark caramel of rapadura and sugar, set and broken into squares. The unrefined cane sugar gives it a deep molasses flavor that sets it apart from ordinary peanut brittle. Makes 24 pieces in about 1 hr 38 min.
Prep15 min
Cook35 min
Cooling48 min
Total
1 hr 38 min
Yield
24 pieces
DietGluten free
Ingredients
Adjust yield
pieces
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
½ tbsp (10 g)unsalted butter, softened, for greasing, for the tray
3 ⅓ cups (400 g)raw skinless peanuts
1 ⅓ cups (300 g)rapadura (unrefined cane sugar), grated or chopped, panela or piloncillo also work
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the raw skinless peanuts on a baking sheet and roast until golden and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once. Keep them warm.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) rimmed baking sheet and a metal spatula with the 10 g of softened unsalted butter.
In a heavy 3-quart (3 L) saucepan, combine the rapadura, granulated sugar and water. Stir over medium heat until the sugar and rapadura melt, about 5 minutes.
Clip on a candy thermometer and boil without stirring until the syrup reaches the hard-crack stage, 300°F (149°C), 12 to 18 minutes. A drop in cold water should harden and snap cleanly.
Take the pan off the heat and quickly stir in the warm peanuts, the 15 g of unsalted butter and the salt until every peanut is coated.
Immediately scrape the mixture onto the greased sheet and press it into an even layer about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick with the buttered spatula.
Let it cool 2 to 3 minutes, until firm but still warm, then score it into 24 squares with a buttered knife.
Cool completely, about 45 minutes, then break along the score lines.
Tips
Warm peanuts keep the caramel from seizing; add them straight from the oven.
Rapadura can foam up as it boils, so use a deep pan and watch the temperature closely after 280°F (138°C).
Sugar at 300°F (149°C) causes severe burns: use a candy thermometer, work carefully and keep children away from the pan.
Good with black coffee.
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How long does it take to make pé de moleque (brazilian peanut brittle)?
Plan on 15 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, plus 48 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 24 pieces.
How should I store pé de moleque (brazilian peanut brittle)?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature, layered with parchment, for up to 2 weeks; humidity makes it sticky.
Can I make pé de moleque (brazilian peanut brittle) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Serve it with black coffee.
Variations
Coconut (coco): replace 100 g (2/3 cup) of the peanuts with 100 g (1 1/2 cups) unsweetened coconut flakes, stirred in with the peanuts; time unchanged (adds coconut).
Creamy pé de moleque (com leite condensado): cook the roasted peanuts with 200 g (1 cup) sugar and 395 g (one 14-oz can) sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly, to 245°F (118°C), about 20 minutes, then spread; it sets soft and chewy rather than crisp (adds milk).
No rapadura: use 500 g (2 1/2 packed cups) dark brown sugar in place of the rapadura and granulated sugar; time unchanged.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.
179Calories / serving
8.7gFat
23.3gCarbs
4.4gProtein
19.6gSugar
Whole recipe (24 servings):
~4296 cal ·
209g fat ·
559g carbs ·
106g protein ·
470g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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