Recipes Dream: Holiday Baking #21: Peanut Brittle

Hi! I'm Clarinda from Tale of Two Sisters and Their Kitchens (feel free to stop by for a visit). I was so excited and honored to have recipes invite me to participate in her month of tasty treats! I immediately sifted through my cookbooks and recipes to find something perfect that I could share with all her devoted readers.
One of my favorite treats during the holiday season is Peanut Brittle, and the candy made at home is usually far better than anything bought at the store. I find it relatively simple to make and it only requires a few ingredients - most of which are probably staples in your home. The batch I made in preparing for this post turned out so perfectly divine! It had the perfect brittle consistency (not too chewy, not too hard), and a very buttery, caramely, peanuty flavor. If you try it, I hope it turns out as tasty for you!

Click here for printable recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 cup raw Spanish peanuts
1 T butter or margarine
1 tsp baking soda

Directions:
Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water.

Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add raw peanuts.

If using a candy thermometer, set it in place and continue cooking. Stir constantly until temperature reaches 300°F (150°C) or until a small amount of mixture dropped into cold water separates into hard and brittle threads. This is the method I use, since I do not own a candy thermometer. I keep a small dish of cold water on the counter near the stove. Periodically, I drip a little of the mixture into the water to test the consistency.
Remove from heat - immediately stirring in the butter and baking soda. It is helpful to have these pre-measured and ready to go, so they can be stirred in right away.

Pour at once onto the greased cookie sheet. Using the spatula used during stirring, smooth the peanut mixture over the cookie sheet, making sure there are no holes and that it is relatively evenly spread.

Allow to cool. I usually let it cool for at least 30 minutes or so. It should be a nice caramel color and should no longer be sticky.
Break the candy into pieces. I do this by slamming the cookie sheet onto the counter once or twice (this can be quite loud, so you may want to shout out a warning to others who may be around), and then using a fork to break into smaller pieces.

Enjoy the smooth, buttery, crunchy yumminess!

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Clarinda is a really old friend of mine (back to my high school days)! I wish I could find a picture of us to post, but that would require digging through all my old photos, so you'll have to just imagine us and our big hair at Girls' Camp.

Thanks Clarinda! Peanut brittle is one of those treats I love to enjoy, but have never ventured to make myself. Your recipe and tutorial look perfect. Thank you!!!!

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