Some recipes are pure nostalgia in food form. And this homemade peanut brittle is one for me. My paternal grandmother did a whole lot of cookie baking and candy making before our family got together to celebrate Christmas. She had a huge spread of sweets every year. In fact, I will be sharing a lot of those recipes on this blog, because they mean so much to me. One thing she made every year was her homemade peanut brittle.
For those who have never experienced the sweet, nutty goodness of peanut brittle, let me tell you what it is. It is a classic Christmas candy made by cooking sugar and butter (or other ingredients) into a golden, crunchy, caramel-like mixture. Then you stir in roasted peanuts and let it cool until firm. It’s sweet, nutty, buttery, and wonderfully crisp. And I love getting to break it apart when it’s done. That’s so satisfying!
This is a great dessert or sweet treat to bring to any holiday party. But it also makes a great edible gift!
Do you have someone in your life who loves chocolate? You can add some melted chocolate after you’ve spread the brittle on the baking sheet and allow the chocolate to harden as the brittle does! Yum!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with butter, and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat over medium heat until the mixture is 230 degrees F. Clip the candy thermometer to the end of the pan.
- Add the butter and continue heating until the mixture is 280 degrees F, stirring occasionally.
- Add the peanuts and continue to heat until the mixture is at 305 degrees F.
- Add the baking soda and mix quickly.
- Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Use two forks to lift and pull the mixture until it fills the baking sheet.
- Allow the mixture to cool completely.
- Break into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container.
Notes
