Buttered Brazil Nuts

A Great Gifting Treat

By Mrs D

 "What are Buttered Brazils?"
Buttered Brazils are whole Brazil nuts encased in homemade smooth butterscotch caramel. A firm favourite that is made to an original recipe in Scotland, they are ideal as a gift at any time of the year & easy to make too.  They can also be known as Butterscotch Brazil Nuts.

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Cloae up shot of buttered Brazil nuts stacked and on a red mat.

Holiday Baking & Gifting

Looking for easy but crowd pleasing recipes for food gifts this holiday season? Look no further. Make homemade sweets this year. Lots of recipes on the site already, and latest is this easy recipe from Mrs D!

As always, with any hot materials, care should be taken as the sugar will be extremely hot.

Christmas Or Valentine’s Gift

Make a personalised food basket this Valentine’s with Buttered Brazils and some no bake treats. So much less expensive than unwanted gifts, and even buying ready-made treats. (See below)

Look at the screenshot for how much Buttered Brazil Nuts are to buy ready-made!

Make It A Handmade Christmas This Year,

Less Expense, More Personal!

Make for as little as £1.99!*

*(£10.99 Friars ready-made Buttered Brazil Nuts (240g).

Homemade £6.23 (buying all ingredients)

£4.93 if using lemon juice/white vinegar instead of Cream Of Tartar

£1.99 if you only buy Brazil nuts.

This is based on 200g Brazil Nuts & other ingredients from Aldi, Asda or Morrisons, as at December 2022. Buy nuts in bulk for cheaper & will cost even less to make per batch.)

Below are just some examples of the sweet & savoury bakes you could make this holiday season.

More Christmas & New Year Recipes.

cheese snacks in squares and stars, on top of a wooden board on pale blue background with yellow flowers, whisky glass and mini Christmas cake.

Collage photo of christmas chocolate yule log and a party table with cheese twists and drinks.

Fondant penguin and snowballs scene on top of fondant covered Christmas fruit cake with title fondant tutorial.

Very close shot of lots of deep red brown coloured almonds coated in smoked paprika.

4 photo collage of Christmas themed savoury biscuits, fruit cake, British Christmas fruit cake baked and minemeat swirls.

How To Make These Buttered Nuts

The Brazil nuts are roasted, before you make a butterscotch, similar to caramel sauce making (like I showed in my Caramel Tutorial), but with slightly different ingredient quantities. Once it caramelizes you coat the Brazil nuts and leave to set. And that’s it! Super simple, but super hot.

Wide shot of a wooden table with candle, and dishes of Buttered brazil nuts, a hard candy.

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Why not also join my Facebook group – Easy Online Baking Lessons, dedicated to this baking lessons website, as well as providing one-on-one support with myself & my team? Be sure to answer all security questions when requesting to join. Click to join the group.

Table with buttered brazil nuts with hard caramel coating and pink flowers and blue napkin and text 'Perfect for gifting'.

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Recipe Card – Buttered Brazil Nuts

Buttered Brazil Nuts

Close shot of candt brazil nuts called Buttered Brazils,, some halved, on a wooden table with pink flowers.

Buttered Brazils are whole Brazil nuts encased in smooth butterscotch. A firm favourite that is made to an original recipe in Scotland. They are ideal as a gift at any time of the year and easy to make.

Caro @ Caroline’s Easy Baking Lessons

Prep Time 30

Cooling/setting Time 1

Total Time 1 50

Serving Size Nuts (approx,)

Equipment

Scales or measuring cups
Measuring Spoons
Sugar Thermometer
Baking Tray/sheet, lined with baking/parchment paper (I used a 39x35cm – 15⅓” x 13¾")
Heavy-bottomed, deep pan – not non-stick
Metal Spoon
Metal Fork
Pastry Brush

Ingredients

200 grams Castor Sugar (or Granulated, just note it will take longer for the sugar to dissolve – 7oz, /1 cup)
75 grams Butter, unsalted & cubed (2¾ oz, ⅔ stick of butter)
¼ tsp Cream Of Tartar (or equal amount of lemon juice or white vinegar)
80 ml Water (2½ fl oz /⅓ cup)
200 grams Brazil Nuts, whole & shelled (7oz, 1 ¼ cup, approx.)

Instructions

ROAST BRAZIL NUTS

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan Oven 180°C/400°F/Gas 6. Lightly oil a large baking tray/sheet and line with baking/parchment paper. (Only need to grease the paper in place if your baking tray doesn't a lip, as everything can slip off on to the floor). See Photo 1.
Scatter the Brazil nuts over the prepared baking tray/sheet, in a single layer and place in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven when they are slightly roasted and a light golden-brown. Set aside to cool. See Photo 2.

PREPARE BUTTERSCOTCH COATING

Place the sugar, butter, cream of tartar (or lemon juice), and water in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat (not non-stick). Now stir until the sugar has dissolved. Dip a metal spoon into the mixture to check the sugar is completely dissolved. If you can see any sugar crystals on the spoon it needs a few more minutes. Note if using granulated rather than castor sugar, it will take a little longer for the sugar to dissolve. See Photos 3.
Now bring the mixture up to a boil, without stirring. Now this is important – DO NOT STIR. If you do it will crystallise and you will have to start again. Swirl the pan occasionally. If you see a few crystals up the sides of the pan while it is reaching temperature, you can carefully, with a pastry brush, push them back into the syrup with some water. See Photo 4.
Using the thermometer, let it bubble away until the thermometer reaches 149°C/300°F. Boiling sugar is extremely hot so be very careful you don’t burn yourself. See Photos 5

COAT THE NUTS

Remove the pan from the heat . Working quickly using a fork and a spoon, carefully dip each Brazil nut into the hot toffee. Alternatively, add a handful of Brazil nuts at a time and stir to coat before removing them individually. Take care when handling the toffee as it will be very hot. If the toffee starts to harden in the pan, briefly return it to the heat to soften a little.
Place the toffee-coated Brazil nuts on the papered baking tray/sheet and leave to cool for an hour. See Photo 6.
Once cooled store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week if you are lucky for them to last that long. See Photo 7.

Notes

Make It A Handmade Christmas This Year

– Less Expensive & More Personal!

*(£10.99 Friars ready-made Buttered Brazil Nuts (240g). Homemade £6.23 (buying all ingredients) £4.93 if using lemon juice/white vinegar instead of Cream Of Tartar. Just £1.99 if you only buy Brazil nuts. (*as at December 2022).

This is based on 200g Brazil Nuts & other ingredients from Aldi, Asda or Morrisons Buy nuts in bulk for cheaper & will cost even less to make per batch.)

Screenshot of google prices for buying Buttered brazil Nuts at £10.99 a packet.

Many people are scared at making caramel but as long as you follow the recipe you will be fine. For more on making caramel & hints and tips, see Caro’s article & recipe for Salted Caramel Sauce.

1 Serving is 5 Brazil Nuts (approx.)

1 Serving is 175 Calories (approx.)

Be very careful when working with very hot sugar.

If using Granulated rather than Castor sugar, note it will take a little longer for the sugar to dissolve.

No Cream Of Tartar? – Use equal part lemon juice or white vinegar.

For more food gifting ideas, go to my Christmas & New Year recipes

Check out Last Minute Food Gift Ideas

Or go to Valentine’s Day Recipes

Nutrition Facts

Buttered Brazil Nuts

Serving Size

5 nuts

Amount per Serving

Calories

175

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy, beginner