Peanut
Brittle: Lightly butter a large baking sheet.
Have ready the baking soda, vanilla extract, and butter. Set
aside.
In a medium
sized saucepan over medium high heat, bring the water, corn syrup, sugar, salt,
and peanuts to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof
spatula. Cover the saucepan
with a lid for about one minute to allow the sides of the pan to wash themselves
down and dissolve any sugar crystals. Then remove lid and clamp a
candy thermometer to the side of the pan, making sure it does not touch the
bottom of the pan. Cook until the syrup reaches 296
degrees F (147 degrees C) (hard crack stage), stirring occasionally to prevent the peanuts from
sticking to the bottom of the pan,
Remove from
heat and immediately stir in the baking soda, vanilla extract, and butter (the brittle will
puff up) stirring until everything is mixed together (about 30 seconds).
Immediately pour the brittle onto your baking sheet. If you want a thin brittle, then while
the brittle is still very hot, use two forks to stretch the brittle. Do this by gently pulling the brittle, working your way around the entire mass. Let the brittle completely
cool and then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container or a plastic
freezer bag as this will prevent the brittle from becoming sticky and breaking
down. Store at room temperature, or in the refrigerator, for up to two weeks.
This recipe can be doubled.
Makes about
1
pound (450 grams)
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