Peanut Brittle

Since we succeeded in making caramels at Christmas (yay!), we thought it might be a good time to venture into the scary world of candy making... Courage in hand and lessons learned (at first we had the increments on our candy thermometer wrong so we way over cooked our caramel!), we opened up the candy book we got last year for Christmas(we have only made the caramel recipe because we don't want to mess it up) and found the recipe for peanut brittle. Here is the delicious and addicting result!

 This peanut brittle could not be easier! We made it twice and didn't mess up either batch (amazing since we have a terrible time with any kind of candy making).

 Be sure to spread it when you pour it into the pan. Our first batch turned out a little thicker than most peanut brittle.

                                      

We have an old fashioned candy thermometer where telling the temperature is a little bit of guess work and a little bit of talent. An instant read, digital candy thermometer would be nice to have. 

 We also made this recipe with pecans (our favorite nut). It tasted even better than the peanut brittle! The pecans turn all toasty and really shine through! This is definitely a pecan lovers delight. We love to go through the bag and pick out the pieces with the most amount of nuts. :) 

 The recipe we used comes from a book called Chocolates and Confections. It was written be Peter Greweling who, at the time of its publication in 2010, is a professor at the Culinary Institute of America. Here is the recipe that turned the candy illiterate into candy makers: 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (2 cups) sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 lb (3 cups) unsalted whole peanuts or coarsely chopped pecans*
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp Butter, soft
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1. Lightly oil a 10x15-inch pan (we used a cookie sheet with sides. We have no idea what size it is....). Lightly oil an offset palette knife.
2. Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a heat resistant rubber spatula. Cover and boil for  minutes.
3. Remove the cover, insert a thermometer, and cook without stirring to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Add the peanuts and cook while stirring to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the batch is light brown.
5. Remove from the heat; mix in the salt, butter, vanilla, and baking soda thoroughly. 
6. Pour onto the prepared pan and spread to the edges using the oiled palette knife.
7. Allow to cool to room temperature. Break into desired sized pieces (and don't cut yourself on the sharp edges after it breaks like Ashley did....) Store sealed in an airtight container.

What's your favorite kind of candy to make? What candy should we try next?