Peanut Brittle
Patricia @ ButterYum
I have a friend who was amazed when she received a gift of homemade peanut brittle. She thought peanut brittle was one of those things you could only purchase at a store, but I assured her it was easy to make at home. Really tasty too. Be sure to check out the notes section below the recipe to find out how to keep peanut brittle nice and, well, brittle for up to 2 months.
Items needed to make this recipe:
(affiliate links)
pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE
candy thermometer https://amzn.to/3szQSa4
half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3tkacXU
silpat liner https://amzn.to/3Bj6uBx
flat parchment paper sheets https://amzn.to/35FuEu2
silicone spatula https://amzn.to/3huTlMv
Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
makes about 2 pounds of brittle
Ingredients
2 cups white granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
16 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups shelled, salted roasted peanuts
Directions
Line a half sheet pan with a silpat liner or parchment paper; set aside.
In a 4-quart or larger heavy-bottomed saucepan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, water, and salt; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes until the temperature reaches 300F - 310F on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage).
Remove saucepan from heat and vigorously stir in baking soda and pure vanilla extract (don’t be alarmed when hot sugar syrup bubbles ferociously).
Quickly stir in peanuts and pour hot mixture immediately onto prepared half sheet pan; use a silicone spatula to spread mixture to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Allow brittle to cool completely before breaking into serving size pieces (this can take up to an hour). Store at room temperature in airtight container with parchment or wax paper between layers.
Notes
You can spread the hot brittle mixture on parchment paper or a silpat liner, but I find the silpat liner a bit safer as it doesn’t move around on the sheet pan like parchment has a tendency to.
I’ve been able to keep brittle crisp for up to two months. Here are my tips:
Make sure the brittle is completely cool before placing in storage container.
Be sure storage container is very airtight.
When opening storage container, replace lid quickly.
Keep brittle away from moisture/humidity (do not store in refrigerator).
Use parchment paper or wax paper between layers of brittle to keep the pieces from sticking together.
adapted from scratchpantry.com