Best Peanut Brittle
This is my first, and not last, attempt at making peanut brittle. I was surprised at how easy it’s to make. If you have a Silpat (silicone) mat, it makes life a whole lot easier for the brittle to set, and for cleanup. Otherwise, you actually need to grease a baking sheet well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cups peanuts
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
Details
Servings 1
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 80mins
Adapted from afeastfortheeyes.net
Preparation
NOTE: Be sure to have all your ingredients measured out and prepared to go. Once the candy is “set” it needs to be quickly poured out.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Candy thermometer and a silicone mat (if possible)
Grease a large cookie sheet (better, yet, use a Silpat mat). Set aside.
In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water.
NOTE: Using a candy thermometer, I waited until the hot liquid reached 250°F. Reviews proposed this, so that I did not risk burning the peanuts.
Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir often until temperature reaches 300°F (150°C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
Remove from heat; instantly stir in butter, vanilla and baking soda; pour directly onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks*, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14×12 inches; cool.
*I just tilted the brittle, as soon as it was poured on my Silpat and it distributed evenly.
Snap candy into pieces.