Local cooking expert/celebrity, Barbara Tenney, gave a holiday treats demo at KaTom last Saturday. The demonstrations are kind of like ‘mini-classes.’ She will be conducting these informal demos on several Saturdays leading up to Christmas. Sophia and I slipped into the one last Saturday on how to make Peanut Brittle—and it was divine! Here is what you need to know.

1. The demos typically last from 11:00-1:00 so you can drop in and enjoy it.
2. The holiday treats demos are informal, so just walk in and sit at the counter to get a good view and ask questions.
3. I try to arrive close to 11:00 so I can linger and not be in a hurry.
4. Barbara Tenney will make the treats in front of you so there will lots of opportunities to talk and ask questions.
5. You get a copy of the recipe.
6. You get to sample the recipe.
7. In some cases, you may get to take home a sample.
8. There is a cool sale room in KaTom where you can find some kitchen treasures for super low prices.
9. You can browse the store afterward. There are a lot of gift ideas for the holidays. I am going back to shop again for Christmas gifts.
10. The coffee machine!

We observed this recipe for peanut brittle and it was excellent.

A secret: you have to use Spanish peanuts. No other kind will be as good.

Candy thermometers are a must to get it perfect.

You must butter a granite counter first, then pour the hot batter out to pull. It cools quickly so work fast.

Use gloves to pull the batter as it will still be super hot. Barbara said that thinness is key to good brittle. Break it apart.

Almost ready!

 

Voila! The finished product.

My sample bag of peanut brittle! I shared with colleagues at work yesterday.

I want this coffee machine!

KaTom is ready for the holidays.

Here are the upcoming dates for holiday treats demonstrations:

Save me a seat at the counter!