During the Vietnamese New Year, various types of candies and jams are indispensable. Today, let’s head to the kitchen to make a snack with two delicious and attractive ways to make thèo lèo – mouse droppings candy for the New Year. Let’s get started!
1. Thèo lèo – peanut candy
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Preparation
40 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Thèo lèo – peanut candy Serves 4
Peanuts 400 gr Sugar 235 gr Minced ginger 1 tablespoon Lemon juice 2 teaspoons Unsalted butter 1 teaspoon Baking soda 1/4 teaspoon Sesame 50 gr (black or white)
How to make Thèo lèo – peanut candy
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Roast peanuts and sesame seeds
Place a pan on the stove, add all 50g of sesame seeds and roast over low heat. When the sesame seeds are golden and fragrant, turn off the heat.
Prepare a mold lined with parchment paper, evenly pour 1/3 of the roasted sesame seeds into the mold, and place the remaining seeds into a small bowl.
Next, add 400g of peanuts to the pan and roast over low heat until the peanuts are golden, crispy, and fragrant, then turn off the heat. Wait a moment until the peanuts cool down, then remove the peanut skins.
Tip: Peanuts must be crispy before turning off the heat and removing the skins.
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Cook the syrup
Place a pot on the stove, add 1/4 cup of water and cook over medium heat until the water boils, then add 235g of sugar (1 cup and 2 tablespoons of sugar). Hold the handle and shake the pot to dissolve the sugar.
When the syrup boils vigorously, add 1 tablespoon of minced ginger and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
Cook until the syrup turns a caramel color, then reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook until the syrup boils up, darkens, and thickens.
Add 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter to the pot, stir well for 1 minute. Then add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and stir well.
Tip:- Do not stir the syrup as it will cause the sugar to clump and spoil.
- When the syrup turns caramel color, lower the heat to prevent the sugar from burning and making the candy bitter.
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Cook thèo lèo
Gradually add 2/3 of the peanuts into the pot of sugar syrup and stir well for 3 – 4 minutes. Then add the remaining 1/3 of the sesame and stir until the syrup thickens, then turn off the heat.
Tip: While cooking, keep the syrup boiling so that the peanuts become crispy and absorb more sugar.
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Pouring into mold and finishing
Pour all the thèo lèo mixture into the mold that has been sprinkled with sesame and evenly spread the peanuts out.
Then sprinkle the remaining peanuts and sesame evenly on top. Press the peanuts and sesame down firmly so that the finished thèo lèo is chewier and crunchier.
When the candy has hardened, is chewy but still warm, take it out of the mold, remove the parchment paper, and lightly oil the knife before cutting it into small pieces for serving.
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Finished product
Thèo lèo has a beautiful golden-brown color. When eaten, the candy melts in the mouth, with just the right amount of sweetness. The nutty, fragrant flavor of the peanuts and sesame combined with the light aroma of ginger creates an irresistible appeal for this candy.
2. Mouse droppings – black sesame candy
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Mouse Droppings – Black Sesame Candy Serves 4 people
Black sesame 300 gr Peanuts 100 gr Granulated sugar 100 gr Maltose 100 gr Baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
How to Make Mouse Droppings – Black Sesame Candy
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Toast the black sesame
Place the pan on the stove, when the pan is hot, add the black sesame and toast on low heat. When you hear the popping sound of the sesame, turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
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Cook the sugar syrup
Add 100ml of cold water, 100gr of granulated sugar, and 100gr of maltose into the pan and stir evenly on medium heat.
When the sugar has completely dissolved, reduce the heat to low to cook the sugar syrup and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Cook until the sugar reaches the right consistency (the sugar turns a caramel color).
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Make black sesame candy
Add all the roasted peanuts and sesame seeds into the pot of sugar syrup, mix well, and then turn off the heat.
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Pour into molds and finish
Prepare the molds and pour the black sesame candy into them. Cover the surface of the candy with a layer of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to flatten the candy evenly. Then wait for the candy to cool slightly, use a knife greased with a little cooking oil to cut the candy into bite-sized pieces, and it’s done.
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Finished Product
The piece of candy has an attractive color and a delightful aroma. When eaten, the candy has a sweet taste along with the nutty and fatty flavor of black sesame and peanuts. Just sit back and enjoy a cup of tea with a piece of candy, and it’s truly wonderful!
How to check the syrup’s readiness
- When you want to check if the syrup is ready, just take a small amount of syrup and drop it into a bowl of cold water that you have prepared.
- If the sugar hardens immediately, it means the syrup is ready.
- On the contrary, if it remains quite sticky, you should boil it a little longer until the syrup reaches the desired consistency, then turn off the heat.
Tips for successful execution
- If you add unsalted butter to the recipe, it will make Rat’s Droppings smell even better.
- Adding baking soda, glucose, and malt will make the candy crispier and tastier.
- Keep some peanuts and tamarind to sprinkle on top, which will help make the candy crunchier and more delicious.
See more:
With 2 ways to make thèo lèo cứt chuột that are both simple and incredibly delicious for the Tet holiday, let’s quickly join TasteVN to prepare it for the family right away!
*Refer to images and recipes from 2 YouTube channels: SỨC KHỎE TÂM SINH and XANH TV.
