This is a great snack that can make a great quick Christmas gift.
If I could give this recipe 10 stars I would. I made 4 generous gift bags out of a doubled recipe -- would have been 6 except we couldn't stop eating it! The doubled batch cost about $5.00 since broken cashews are a deal at the local discount store. I spent more on all the stuff, of course, but had plenty of everything left over to make more so that's a rounded guess. In terms of the process: The butter goes in after it is cooked so it is hard to mess up. A similar candy burned (on low) before reaching hard crack when I tried to double it because the extra cooking time was too much for the butter in the recipe. The Christmas Crunch doubled up with no problem. I poured the doubled batch into two jelly roll pans but wish I would have had slightly bigger surfaces so I could have spread it out just a little thinner. Also, it took a long time for it to reach 280 degrees but went to 300 quickly after that -- so watch carefully toward the end. The best part is this is very no fuss. I didn't have to stand over it and it wasn't messy or time consuming (a few minutes on each end of the cooking process is all). The result is this sweet, buttery, crispy, nutty treat! Can't wait to try it with pecans or almonds. Thank you Debbie for my new Christmas gift recipe!
Read MoreI tried this recipe, b/c it got such high ratings. However, it was the worst thing I've ever tasted. First of all, it took SO long to boil to 300 degrees - about 45 minutes. In fact, I made candied walnuts (which are also on this site and, by the way, are awesome!) while I was waiting for the temperature to sufficiently rise. Secondly, when they were done, they tasted stale and were so sticky on my teeth that I thought my fillings would be ripped out! Don't waste your time on this, no matter how many 5-star entries it has received.
Read MoreIf I could give this recipe 10 stars I would. I made 4 generous gift bags out of a doubled recipe -- would have been 6 except we couldn't stop eating it! The doubled batch cost about $5.00 since broken cashews are a deal at the local discount store. I spent more on all the stuff, of course, but had plenty of everything left over to make more so that's a rounded guess. In terms of the process: The butter goes in after it is cooked so it is hard to mess up. A similar candy burned (on low) before reaching hard crack when I tried to double it because the extra cooking time was too much for the butter in the recipe. The Christmas Crunch doubled up with no problem. I poured the doubled batch into two jelly roll pans but wish I would have had slightly bigger surfaces so I could have spread it out just a little thinner. Also, it took a long time for it to reach 280 degrees but went to 300 quickly after that -- so watch carefully toward the end. The best part is this is very no fuss. I didn't have to stand over it and it wasn't messy or time consuming (a few minutes on each end of the cooking process is all). The result is this sweet, buttery, crispy, nutty treat! Can't wait to try it with pecans or almonds. Thank you Debbie for my new Christmas gift recipe!
Very Good - Makes a great gift. This can be addictive!
This is all i have to say,"yummy".
Wow, what an easy, great-tasting recipe! I love that, once you get the mixture up to the boil, you can take a break and spare your arm the constant stirring. The only concern I had with this recipe is that, with the quantities stated, it doesn't even come close to filling the 10 x 15 pan, so it spreads out into a thin layer that's kinda too thin on the ends to use as viable pieces once it's broken. I tried a triple batch, too, but that was too much. I'm thinking that a double batch would do the trick. I see lots of possibilites for this recipe, though, with other add-ins. Thanks so much for sharing it with us! :)
My daughter loved it. I was expecting it to be as hard as it is but still very good and very easy to make
I really liked the flavor but it seemed to have a lot more chex pieces than nuts (the reason for 4 stars instead of 5) so I will definitely add more nuts the next time I make it. I think it would be great with other types of nuts and also with pretzels, as others have suggested.
I tried this recipe, b/c it got such high ratings. However, it was the worst thing I've ever tasted. First of all, it took SO long to boil to 300 degrees - about 45 minutes. In fact, I made candied walnuts (which are also on this site and, by the way, are awesome!) while I was waiting for the temperature to sufficiently rise. Secondly, when they were done, they tasted stale and were so sticky on my teeth that I thought my fillings would be ripped out! Don't waste your time on this, no matter how many 5-star entries it has received.
This was ok. It turned out very thick and hard. I think it needed some salt too. Sticks to your teeth--not a good gift for older people. Be prepared to wait a good 20 or so minutes for the mixture to heat to the 'hard ball stage'.
Okay..I WOULD have given this 5 stars but I made it TWICE and I couldn't get it to HARDEN!? It TASYES fabulous, but I must be doing SOMETHING wrong(?) The second time I thought that I didn't boil it long enough the first time, so I boiled it longer and it set a little, but didn't get like peanutbrittle or anything (which I think it's supposed to(?) Anyway, I am thinking my mistake is that I DON"T have a candy thermometer....however I am STILL gonna try it a 3rd time because it tastes WONDERFUL! (They say "Third's a charm")! :)
Debbie, You have a winner! This is quick and easy to make and everyone loved it. Thanks Michelle Roe
I thought this recipe was a little hard on the teeth. I would suggest crushing the cashews up a bit.
Taste was good, but hard to chew ... I had trouble getting it spread thin enough, as it was setting up fast as I poured it in the pan ... if I'd gotten it thinner, it might have been better.
Easy to make. Not as buttery as I had hoped. Very Sweet! I was not sure what exactly defines crispy rice cereal. I used rice chex but got to wondering if it meant rice crispies instead. Feedback from other reviewers regarding type/brand of cereal they used would be appreciated. I am going to a holiday fair this weekend to sell my homemade goodies and I'll see how this recipe sells. Thanks for sharing your recipe Debbie.
I made this recipe exactly as it reads. Is was a total flop! Too much sugar, not enough rice cereal or cashews!!! If I ever make again, I would double the cereal and double the cashews!
This is really good. I subbed pecans for the cashews and used rice crispies (the recipe didn't specify and some people mentioned rice chex) It took a long time to get to hard crack stage but you don't have to watch it too closely while it is boiling. You do need to have everything measured out and waiting because it starts to set up very fast. It is really addictive! I will absolutely make it again.
