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Panutsa (Batangas peanut and cane-sugar candy)
Roasted peanuts set in dark unrefined cane sugar, cooled in shell moulds
In Batangas and Laguna, south of Manila, panutsa is the rustic peanut candy made from roasted peanuts and dark, unrefined cane sugar, traditionally poured into halved coconut shells to set into domes. It is sold at roadside stalls and town markets and eaten as a snack with the strong local barako coffee, often in the morning or mid-afternoon. It is hard and crunchy, with a deep molasses flavour and lots of nuts. Break it into pieces to serve, or grate it over rice cakes as a sweetener. Panutsa is naturally egg-free: the cane sugar, boiled to the soft-crack stage, sets hard as it cools and holds the peanuts in place. Chef's tip: have the moulds oiled and ready before the syrup goes on. The common mistake is pulling the syrup too early, which gives a sticky, bendy candy that never sets properly.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 9 oz raw peanutswith skins
- 10 ½ oz unrefined cane sugar (panocha or dark muscovado)broken up if in a block
- ¼ cup water
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the moulds
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Brush 8 small coconut-shell halves, small bowls or tart tins with 1 tsp neutral oil.
Step 2: Roast 9 oz raw peanuts in a dry heavy pan over a medium heat, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes, until the skins blister and the nuts are golden inside when you split one. Tip onto a plate.
9 minStep 3: In the same pan, warm 10 ½ oz unrefined cane sugar (panocha or dark muscovado) and ¼ cup water over a medium heat, stirring until melted.
3 minStep 4: Boil without stirring for 6–8 minutes, until the syrup is thick and dark and reaches 140–300°F (soft-crack stage); a drop in cold water forms hard threads that bend slightly before snapping.
7 minStep 5: Take off the heat, add the peanuts and 1 pinch fine salt and stir quickly until every nut is coated.
Step 6: Spoon into the moulds straight away, press down with an oiled spoon, and leave for 15 minutes until hard. Twist out and store airtight for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does panutsa (Batangas peanut and cane-sugar candy) take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of unrefined cane sugar (panocha or dark muscovado)?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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