Peanut Brittle adn Pecan Brittle
Ingredients
Peanut Brittle
3 cups raw, shelled peanuts
2 cups Imperial granulated sugar
2 cups light corn syrup (Karo, or store brand)
1 ½ Tablespoons baking soda (make sure there are no lumps in it; sift if necessary)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon butter
1 ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
NOTE: get pans ready and all ingredients measured out before you start cooking the peanut or pecan brittle. Have peanuts at room temperature.
Do not spray or butter measuring cup you pour light corn syrup in.
Brittle has to be watched and stirred frequently so it’s doesn’t burn or scorch.
Peanut Brittle:
Lightly butter bottom and sides of 9 aluminum pie tins (can use baking sheets or cookie sheets).
Pre-heat heavy boiler (pot) on medium high. Add light corn syrup & granulated sugar and stir well. Cook, scraping down sides until sugar is dissolved and starts boiling. (May need to adjust your burner if it’s too high). Once syrup mixture starts to thicken, add peanuts. Stir well. Mixture will be thick if you use this amount of peanuts; it will take a minute or so to start back cooking. You will see syrup on the sides and know that it’s starting to cook again. Stir frequently. Once mixture starts to turn a light golden, keep stirring. Peanuts will start to get golden and crack open. When mixture gets to medium gold (you don’t want it too light or too dark), remove from burner, add butter and stir; add vanilla and stir. Move to counter where you are pouring (spooning) it into pans. Add salt and soda. Stir really good, making sure you’re stirring from the bottom and all sides so baking soda gets mixed in really good. Take a spoonful from the bottom of the boiler and put into butter pie tins. Repeat; should fill about 8 or 9 pans. Run hot water into boiler and it will melt the mixture for easy cleanup. Pick up each pan and swirl it around, then pop the pan on the counter. Repeat with all pans. This brings peanuts to top. Only pop once because you do want the air bubbles in the peanut rounds. That’s what makes it good and crunchy.
Pecan Brittle
Use same measurements. Toast pecans in microwave 30 seconds at a time for about 3 times. Do not add pecans until syrup mixture is a light golden. This makes about 8 pie tins full of pecan brittle.