KNACK OR PEANUT CRACK: Peanut Brittle at Christmas by Marisa Masterson

Sticky, icky, or absolutely delicious. People have different reactions to peanut brittle. For me, it is a part of my memories of Christmas. 

My grandmother always included it on her candy tray. This sat on the table, inviting me to grab at what I wanted. It was the time of year when a child did not have to ask before taking a candy. 

https://easybudgetrecipes.com/
homemade-peanut-brittle/

https://www.aboutpeanuts.com/
all-about-peanuts/origin-history-of-peanuts

Perhaps you have similar memories of peanut brittle at Christmas? When I researched the tradition, not much shows up about it until after the 1930s. It has consistently been a relatively cheap treat to make. At one time, people would bag up the homemade candy or put it in a pretty tin to give to neighbors as a gift. 

From my research, it appears that peanuts became popular throughout the United States after the Civil War. Believe it or not, most states were growing peanuts after soldiers returned from the war. The men discovered the boiled treat when their units pushed into the South. It was a tasty source of protein during lean times.

(Read more about peanuts and that war at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-legumes-of-war-how-peanuts-fed-the-confederacy-70737510/.)

https://thebestrecipefor.com/
knack-kola-swedish-christmas-toffee/

Because they were cheap and available, peanuts replaced other nuts that were traditionally used in toffee for the holiday. Take the family in my latest release. These Swedish immigrants would have enjoyed knäck for Christmas. The toffee includes almonds. If you substitute the inexpensive peanuts for the almonds and the cheaper corn syrup for the golden syrup in that recipe, you get peanut brittle.

Imagine the scene with the hardworking Swedes on Christmas Eve from my book:

A plate of peanut brittle made the rounds before Inge returned it to a side table. Then she hummed a familiar tune. While Lucinda’s ears had grown accustomed to hearing Swedish, the words seemed wrong somehow when her mother-in-law sang, “Stilla natt, heliga natt…” She didn’t join in but listened instead as Maggie joined the older woman. 

Could you guess the song the older woman sang? Silent Night was a well-known carol by this time in the 1800s.

I buy peanut brittle rather than make it at home. With my peanut allergy, it's safer that way. It does not go on the candy tray but sits separate and away from anything I eat. 

But I don't know why I bother. My kids don't think of it as anything special. They want peppermint bark--something my grandmother never made or served. I suppose, for my family, the peanut brittle tradition has been replaced.

One last thing. If you would like to learn more about Swedish toffee, I suggest visiting the Swedish Spoon website. https://swedishspoon.com/knack/

Merry Christmas!

Marisa

LATEST RELEASE!

Three ladies connected to the name Lucinda in entwined stories of convenience, marriage, and love.

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From a pie auction to a mail-order bride mix-up, follow these women as they navigate unexpected romances and dangerous threats. And just when all three believed that life had settled into the ordinary, a Christmas Eve to Remember brings back old enemies and new surprises. Don’t miss this heartwarming collection with each story building on the one before it.

Lemon Pie by Lucinda

Lucy never imagined that Ty Goodson would bid on her pie at the auction. But after a night spent in a cave and a shotgun wedding, Lucy finds herself in a forced marriage with a man who longs for a different woman. Will she win his love and escape the men chasing them?

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Lucinda's father sends her on a train to New York to prevent her from breaking up Ty and Lucy Goodson's marriage. But after meeting a fellow passenger, the two switch places. Lucinda finds herself on a poor farmer's doorstep, pretending to be his mail-order bride. Can she convince Andy to become a rancher and find happiness with a man who ignites a passion in her heart?

 A Match for Maggie

Maggie—the fake Lucinda--in danger when her past comes back to haunt her. But with the help of handsome US Marshal Reg Parker, she discovers safety and love. However, life twists for her when Reg sends her to Denver as another man’s mail-order bride. There. she discovers her groom is missing. Will she be safe in Denver, and who will be the man to marry her?

 A Christmas Eve to Remember

 Lucinda and Maggie must rely on their loved ones for support. But when Reg is arrested, will he and Maggie spend Christmas apart? And with the return of a dangerous threat, will Maggie and Lucinda make it through the holiday unharmed?

 

If you enjoy heartwarming historical romances with a hint of suspense, you'll love these stories of three women braving life in the West. Buy now and enjoy the romance!