Macadamia Brittle

Line a lipped 30 cm x 25 cm baking tray with baking paper. 

Put the sugar, water, glucose and salt in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Lightly stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has melted. Don’t over-stir as this will cause the mixture to crystallize.

Turn the heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 128˚C on a candy thermometer, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the nuts and give one quick stir to combine with the syrup. After that only stir occasionally to ensure the nuts don’t catch and burn and cook until the brittle reaches 154˚C on a candy thermometer.

Quickly stir in the butter and vanilla, then the baking soda. You need to work rapidly at this point. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it as thinly as possible with the back of a spatula or metal spoon. 

Cool completely before breaking the brittle into shards.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Pantry note: Liquid glucose is available at gourmet food stores and good supermarkets.

Cook's tip: Invest in a clip-on candy thermometer. You can get a good quality one for around $30 and it will be a huge help.