Name: Great Grandma’s Peanut Brittle
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Water: 1/2 cup; Corn Syrup: 1 cup; Sugar: 3 cups; Peanuts: 3 cups; Butter: 1 stick; Baking Soda: 1 tablespoon; Salt: 1 tablespoon; Vanilla extract: 1 tablespoon

Ingredients

1/2 cup Water

1 cup Corn Syrup

3 cups Sugar

3 cups Peanuts

Raw, unshelled

1 stick Butter

1/2 cup

1 tablespoon Baking Soda

1 tablespoon Salt

1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

Directions

I got so excited when I found this recipe Grandma’s Easy Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle. I’ve always been a such a fan. It’s amber sweet richness and the crunchiness of the brittle and peanuts make this a chronic ‘want’. The one thing I don’t care for is the cost to buy a container. In some cases the cost is over $10. It turns out you can make a whole lot of brittle for about the cost of a package and it will far superior to what you buy from your local grocery store. The toffee is rich and buttery and while this may not be a dessert, it is certainly a sweet treat to have with your coffee or you can package it and pass it out to friends during the holiday season (or any time of year).

When I refer to this as easy to make, don’t panic or move on to something else with the plan to go buy some. With Great Grandmas Easy Peanut Brittle the hardest thing you’ll have to do is monitor a candy thermometer. Not monitoring it is where I suspect most people go wrong. Your two most important steps take place at 240F and 300F respectively. You’ll also want to stir constantly when the peanuts get added. Not doing so will cause your peanuts to settle and then burn. It doesn’t mean you can’t eat the brittle, you can ‘if’ you like burnt peanuts.

I recommend that you have your vanilla, baking soda, salt and butter prepared and ready to go when the thermometer reaches 300F. If you don’t have them ready you run the risk of burning the toffee when you try to open the stick of butter or measure the vanilla. When you add the salt and baking soda the toffee will fizz and turn a warm caramel color. Do not panic. This is completely normal. The toffee is aerated and with break easier with all the little pockets of air. Pour onto your prepared cookie sheet, let it cool/harden, then crack and eat.

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Steps

1 Done	Use non-stick spray on a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
2 Done	Add sugar, water and corn syrup to a Dutch oven. Turn heat on medium high. Stir sugar, water and corn syrup until sugar is dissolved. Keep heat on medium high until a candy thermometer reaches 240F.
3 Done	When the candy thermometer reaches 240F add the raw, unshelled nuts. Leave the heat at medium high and continuously stir the nut/candy mixture until the mixture is deep amber in color and the thermometer reads 300. Note: It is very important that you stir continuously. Not keeping the nuts in motion will cause them to burn change the taste of the brittle.
4 Done	When the thermometer reaches 300F, turn the heat off. Add soda, salt and vanilla. This will cause the peanut brittle to bubble rapidly. This is normal. Add one stick of butter and stir until well incorporated, the butter is melted and the amber color becomes creamy. Pour out onto the prepared cookie sheet until it is 100% cool to the touch and hard.
5 Done	When the brittle is ‘brittle’ use a meat mallet or a hammer to lightly tap and break the brittle. Store it in a ziplock, serve when ready.