Peanut Drops

Learn how to make this Caribbean delicacy known as peanut drops. Made from roasted peanuts, raw cane sugar and spices that are made into a hard candy.

Course Appetisers/Snacks

Cuisine Jamaican

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings people

Calories 348kcal

Author Charla

Ingredients

2 cups peanuts (292g)
1½ cups raw cane sugar (300g)
2 cups water (475ml)
3 tablespoon ginger (21g) minced
½ teaspoon cinnamon (1g)
1 tablespoon vanilla (13g)
1 tablespoon almond essence (13g)

Instructions

If you are using red skin peanuts like I am then you will need to soak them in boiling water 30 minutes before using them and use your hands to rub away the skin (skip this step if you are using blanched peanuts).
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Arrange the peanuts on the baking tray ensuring they are spread out and don't overcrowd.
Roast the peanuts until they are golden brown (some may brown quicker than others, so keep a watchful eye and remove any that are brown before the others).
Re-line the same baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the roasted peanuts, raw cane sugar, ginger and water to the boil in a medium sized non stick saucepan.
Once boiled, reduce to medium heat and leave to simmer (stirring frequently) until mixture has thickened and almost evaporated while covering the peanuts. This should take anything from 50 minutes to over an hour.
Around 50 minutes add the cinnamon, vanilla and almond essence.When the mixture is very very sticky and is stuck to the peanuts with virtually no liquid, the drops are ready.
Remove the saucepan from the stove and use a spoon to "drop" 1-2 spoons worth for each drop on the parchment paper, making sure there is a few inches of gap between each one.
Leave to completely set/cool down before eating them.

Notes

Don't be tempted to increase the heat when the peanuts are simmering away, you may burn the sugar as it reduces or may even burn yourself from the syrup spluttering.
If the drops don't stick or are too loose, that means you have too much liquid leftover, return it to the saucepan/stove and add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar as this will help to thicken up the mixture and it should set the second time.
Be sure to use a study non stick saucepan.
If you don't have fresh ginger then just use the equivalent in ground form.
To freeze the drops, make sure you have wrapped the drops and sandwiched them in between parchment paper so they don't stick together.
Don't allow the mixture to cool down once it is ready, work as quickly as you can to set the drops.
Store any left over drops away from heat in an air tight container and eat within a few days of making them.
You don't need the drops to be the same size a mismatch of shape and size is fine.

Nutrition