Peanut Brittle

[FraidKnot]

Couldn't be easier! The recipe was given to me by a friend's mom back in the 1970s. Been making it this way ever since.

Peanut Brittle

1 c. white granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. water
1 c. raw spanish peanuts (skins on)
2 Tbs. softened butter

Grease a cookie sheet (I use butter to grease the pan.) In a heavy saucepan on medium heat, bring the sugar, corn syrup and water to a boil. Stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in raw peanuts. Set a candy thermometer in place. Stirring frequently, cook until temp. reaches 300F degrees. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in butter and baking soda. Work fast, this stuff wants to set! Pour at once onto greased cookie sheet. Spread mixture on the cookie sheet with a pair of forks into a rectangle shape. Let cool. Snap into pieces. Store tightly covered. Makes l lb.

Fraidy

 

[Michelemarie]

Oh my gosh - I have my cookbook right here ready to post a similar recipe! The recipe I have calls for vanilla instead of baking soda, no water, and I used 1-1/2 cups peanuts w/o skins. The biggest difference is, though, that the recipe I have is prepared in the microwave! Everything is done in 10 minutes! MMMMmmmmmmm!

 

[aguynamedrobert]

Baking soda is pretty important when it comes to Peanut Brittle. The kind of peanut brittle that everyone is familiar with has that taste in it and it is pretty standard in the Confectionery world.
how did that recipe turn out with the vanilla and no Baking soda? and how did it do in the microwave? did it get hard enough? Just watch out because sugar can light on fire past a certain temperature so stay close to the microwave if doing it that way...

-Robert
www.chocolateguild.com

 

[Gretchen]

And if you have an electric skillet, this is a good place to use it.

 

[Michelemarie]

Baking soda is pretty important when it comes to Peanut Brittle. The kind of peanut brittle that everyone is familiar with has that taste in it and it is pretty standard in the Confectionery world.
how did that recipe turn out with the vanilla and no Baking soda? and how did it do in the microwave? did it get hard enough? Just watch out because sugar can light on fire past a certain temperature so stay close to the microwave if doing it that way...

-Robert
www.chocolateguild.com

Goofy me - my recipe does call for 1 t of baking soda! I did not know that sugar could catch on fire, thanks for the tip - I will stay close to the microwave. It hardened beautifully- I spread it on a greased cookie sheet and set it in the cold garage for a 1/2 hour and voila - peanut brittle. Here is the recipe:

Microwave Peanut Brittle
1-1/2 c unsalted dry roasted peanuts (or sliced almonds)
1 c sugar
½ c light corn syrup
1/8 t salt
1 T margarine
! t vanilla
1 t baking soda

Have all ingredients ready, grease or butter cookie sheet.
Mix peanuts, sugar, corn syrup and salt together in bowl.
Cook on 100% power for 7-9 minutes, until bubbling and peanuts are brown.
Quickly stir in vanilla and margarine. Cook at 100% for 2-3 minutes.
Quickly stir in baking soda
Spread on greased cookie sheet and cool. Break into pieces.

 

[aguynamedrobert]

Inventive

That is neat that you did it in the microwave...did you just wait till the color turned slightly brown and then take it out? very inventive...

-Robert
www.chocolateguild.com/vb

 

[Dina]

Mmmm, thanks for the recipe. I'm going to make this this year since my kids love it. Hopefully, we will end up getting the stuff my friend's dad makes. He makes the best peanut brittle.

 

[Michelemarie]

That is neat that you did it in the microwave...did you just wait till the color turned slightly brown and then take it out? very inventive...

-Robert
www.chocolateguild.com/vb

The sugar, corn syrup and salt go into the microwave for 7-9 minutes, I did 7 minutes. Then add vanilla and margarine and cook for 2 more minutes. It is a nice brown color. Try it, I would love to know what you think!

 

[aguynamedrobert]

Yeah sugar can catch on fire...funny story...when I was going through culinary school we had one guy leave some sugar cooking on the stove and it burst into 2 foot high flames...he did this twice...needless to say our chef was not too happy...lol..
I also have worked for "Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory" and in the headquaters kitchen one guy had some peanut brittle cooking and he left it on when he went for a break and he came back and the whole room was filled with smoke and it was just a few degree's before catching fire...so yeah fun fire stories from the candy kitchen...every be carefull

-Robert
www.chocolateguild.com/vb

 

[pdswife]

... can I use pecans instead of peanuts??

 

[aguynamedrobert]

Yeah you can try a lot of different nuts....Pecans will work...you can do them whole or you can chop them just slightly 1/2 or 1/4....but yes pecans will work...

-Robert
www.chocolateguild.com/vb

 

[pdswife]

Thanks Robert. We love pecans!

 

[Michelemarie]

I hear sliced almonds are good, too.

 

[aguynamedrobert]

Yeah almonds work great too...I've seen and made....
peanut
almond
cashew
pecan
macadamia

You can use whatever you like...peanut is just the traditional nut to use...but whatever your palate likes then that is whats gonna be eatin right? lol

Have a good one,
Robert
www.chocolateguild.com/vb

 

[BlueCat]

I just found a recipe from the very best peanut brittle I've ever had. It's very similar to all of these (I don't suppose that there are too many ways to make it), but it's a grandma's recipe, so it says things like boil until it spins a thread. What is the temp I would expect if I were looking to spin a thread??

BC

 

[FraidKnot]

I just found a recipe from the very best peanut brittle I've ever had. It's very similar to all of these (I don't suppose that there are too many ways to make it), but it's a grandma's recipe, so it says things like boil until it spins a thread. What is the temp I would expect if I were looking to spin a thread??

BC

Ahh, good old fashioned grandma recipes! I have some where my grandmother said to add "butter the size of a walnut". Also to cook fudge (in particular) to "soft ball stage". To answer your question, spinning a thread is about 300F. Rather than trust my instincts (or the old fashioned candy-making tests) I invested in a glass candy thermometer years ago!

Fraidy

 

[FraidKnot]

Almond Butter Crunch (microwave recipe)

2 Tbs. butter
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. butter, cut into pieces
1-1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. light corn syrup
3 oz. milk chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and butter the foil. Set aside.
Place 2 Tbs. butter in shallow bowl microwave safe bowl. Microwave on High 45-60 seconds, or
until butter melts.

Stir in almonds. Microwave on High 4-5 minutes, until almonds are lightly
brown, stirring after each minute. Remove almonds with slotted spoon and
drain on paper towels. Sprinkle on prepared baking sheet in a 12X8 inch
area. Set aside.

In 2 quart measuring cup or glass mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients
except chocolate. Microwave on High 2-3 inutes, or until sugar dissolves
and mixture can be stirred smooth, stirring once. Place microwave candy
thermometer in place (I never used one) and microwave on High 5-1/2 - 6-1/2 minutes or until temp reaches 300 degrees F.

Pour mixture over almonds and spread to smooth out. Let stand for 1 minute.

Sprinkle milk chocolate chips over candy and let melt, spreading with a
spatula to cover the candy. Let cool. Chill to set. Break candy into
pieces.

Fraidy

 

[aguynamedrobert]

Muchos

That seems like an interesting recipe....I will have to head over the stove(I would skrew something up in the microwave haha) and try that out there and see how that tastes...thanks for the recipe...

-Robert
www.chocolateguild.com

 

[philso]

I just found a recipe from the very best peanut brittle I've ever had. It's very similar to all of these (I don't suppose that there are too many ways to make it), but it's a grandma's recipe, so it says things like boil until it spins a thread. What is the temp I would expect if I were looking to spin a thread??

BC

those granma's were pretty crafty, weren't they. they avoided having to wash or worry about candy thermometers by noting that at the right temperature, after the first 1 or 2 big globs came off the wooden spoon, something looking like fiberglass or fishing line ("thread" in culinary terminolgy) was left hanging from the spoon.

commonly, the money saved on buying a candy thermometer was well spent on hooch from the local rumrunner or speakeasy.

 

[philso]

hey rob, what's the baking soda doing in the recipe? i'm not seeing anything that it would react with. peanut brittle seemed so strait forward, that i've never bothered to actually look a recipe up.

i like pecans and hazelnuts better than peanuts, myself.