Peanut Brittle

This was my first attempt at Peanut Brittle.  Bear with me here.  I think it turned out pretty good in the end, but timing and temperature is everything.  I was watching one of my many and multiferous cooking shows where they made peanut brittle.  I decided then and there that I must make peanut brittle... today... as in right now.  They made it look so easy.  It should be noted that I watch an inordinate amount of cooking shows.  So much so that if my husband walks in and the tv is not on a cooking show he thinks I am sick.

Ingredients Assemble!

Peanut Brittle

• 1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp water
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Sorn Syrup
• 3 Tbs Butter
• 1 pound (16 oz or 2 cups) of nuts.  Any kind of nuts.  I used traditional peanuts.
• In a medium sauce pan on medium heat.  (Sounds like the beginning of a cooking children's book.)  Add water, sugar, and corn syrup.  Medium heat, stirring occasionally, for +/- 25 min until it reaches 240 degrees.  Then add butter and nuts.  Stirring constantly, heat for another +/- 13 min until the thermometer reaches 300 degrees.  Then remove from heat and add baking soda mixture (in a small bowl add baking soda, water and vanilla) and stir in.  Pour onto a buttered cookie sheet and spread out briefly with a buttered spatula.  You may need two cookie sheets.  Let the brittle cool at room temperature for about an hour.  Now for the fun part.  Break it.  Store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Water, sugar, and corn syrup.

A small bowl of baking soda, water, and vanilla.

A buttered cookie sheet.

Bring sugar mixture to 240 degrees on medium heat.

Add nuts and butter.  I gave my peanuts a few pulses in the food processor because I like them a bit more chopped up than whole.

Continue heating to 300 degrees, then add baking soda mixture and remove from heat.  It was at this exact moment of careful candy thermometer degree monitoring that my brother called.  Sorry, Richard, I am not answering the phone right now but I must say you have impeccable timing.  You could not have called at a more inopportune moment.

Spread out on a buttered  cookie sheet to cool for about an hour at room temperature.

I let my husband break them apart.  He is an excellent breaker.

Then I added some peanut brittle to my Pumpkin Cupcakes.
We ate the rest.
Enjoy.