Candy: Peanut Brittle

This is the best picture I have of my grandma! (She is the white haired one!)

My grandma used to own a candy shop and peanut brittle was one of the things that she made. As a young child I would watch my grandma make peanut brittle ever year at Christmas time. I love being able to eat it right after it was made. This recipe holds wonderful memories and I am grateful that I will be able to pass these recipes on to my children.

This is the amazing peanut brittle my mom made!

Peanut Brittle

1 ½ lb. (3 cups) Sugar                                                 ½ tsp. Salt

¾ lb. (1 cup) Glucose or (1 ¼ cup) Corn Syrup           1 tsp. Soda

1 cup Water                                                                1 tsp. Vanilla

1 oz. (¼ cube) Butter                                                 

1 lb. (2 ¾ cups) raw Spanish Peanuts or 6 oz. of Coconut

Before you start to cook the batch measure all ingredients and have them ready. The slab should be dry and at room temperature.

A wet spot on the slab resists the oil, makes contact with the hot candy and causes it to stick to the slab. Grease the slab—mineral oil is best. It has no flavor and does not turn rancid. Butter will do. Put sugar, glucose and water in a three quart, straight side kettle, stir until dissolved, bring to boil and wash the sides of the kettle down.

Put the thermometer in the batch, and while it is cooking mix the salt, soda and vanilla together in a small dish, set to one side ready to be used at the end of the cooking time. When the thermometer registers 240 (237) degrees, add the peanuts. Do not stir until the batch begins to boil again—to do so may start a grain. Stir to keep peanuts from burning. Do not touch the sides of the kettle above the surface of the batch. The friction of the spoon against the sides of the hot kettle will crystallize the syrup that is on the spoon and these crystals, falling into the batch, after it has boiled to a point where there is not enough water left in the batch to redissovle them, will inoculate the rest of the sugar and the whole batch may crystallize, forming a harsh grain. Cook to 320 (317) degrees, add the butter and remove from the fire. Add the salt and vanilla mixture, stir in well, spread as thin as possible on greased slab. As soon as possible, after the batch is on the slab run a spatula or knife under the brittle so as to let the air between the candy and the slab. This will prevent it from sticking to the slab. The peanuts in the batch are lighter than the syrup so they rise to the top, and the thin hot syrup runs down to the slab, where it chills. The uncovered peanuts give the candy and unattractive appearance. As soon as the batch is hard enough to handle turn the edges on the far side back a little, take hold of the bottom part thus turned up and raise it to see if it will hold together, if so turn the batch over. The thinner the brittle the better it is.