Kẹo Gương (Mirror Candy)

The word “Gương” means mirror in Vietnamese. Kẹo means candy, thus explains why I translated “Kẹo Gương” to “Mirror Candy”. Although, it is basically a version of peanut brittle, the Vietnamese version is much thinner and sometimes calls for fried shallots.

Ingredients:
-150g sugar
-50g sesame seeds
-75g peanuts
-1/2 tsp lime juice (or another form of acid)
-1 tsp vanilla powder
-1/2 tsp fried shallots (optional)

What to Do:
Toast sesame seeds and peanuts. Line a flat, heat resistant surface with a piece of foil. Melt sugar in a pot until it begins to turn slightly yellow. Immediately remove from heat and stir in lime juice, vanilla powder, and fried shallots. Spread the hot syrup onto the foil and use a spoon or spatula to spread it into a thin layer. Sprinkle on the peanuts and sesame seeds. Cool and break into small pieces.

Note:
Use extreme caution when making this recipe. Melted sugar is very hot, and will sizzle when lime juice is added. Once the syrup is removed from the heat source it will harden in a fairly short period of time thus, work quickly and carefully!