peanut brittle

Recipe #1 for the Christmas treat boxes.


1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup raw Spanish peanuts (I used regular raw peanuts)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Butter a 15"x10" pan; set aside. In a heavy 3 quart saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar and water. Place over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. When syrup starts to thicken, stir in peanuts. Stirring constantly, cook until the peanuts smell cooked and the syrup bubbles are a pale straw color.
Remove from heat and stir in butter, salt and vanilla (use cation as this will cause steam and could burn your hand). Stir in baking soda until it foams. Pour onto baking sheet and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
Using two forks, or buttered finger tips, begin stretching the edges away from the mass of brittle. Work your way around the pan, pulling off pieces as you stretch. Place these pieceson the counter or on another baking sheet; turn the pieces upside down as this will cause the peanuts to stay in the center of the candy, rather than sink to the bottom. Continue in this manner until all the brittle has been stretched. Allow to coll completely. Store in airtight containers. Makes 1 pound.