Very Beary Peanut Brittle Recipes

MOM'S BEST PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
• In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
• Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

FLUFFY PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Butter 2 large baking sheets; set aside. Butter sides of a heavy 3-quart saucepan. In saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and 1/2 cup water. Cook and stir over medium-high heat to boiling. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat to 275°, soft-crack stage (about 30 minutes). Add nuts; cook and stir to 295°, hard-crack stage (15-20 minutes more). Remove saucepan from heat; remove thermometer.
• Quickly add vanilla, stir in briskly. Sprinkle baking soda over mixture, stirring constantly. Immediately pour onto prepared baking sheets. Cool; break into pieces. Store tightly covered.
• This recipe produces a "fluffy" brittle, the candy is lightly honeycombed and opaque. For a dark and clear brittle, omit the baking soda. And let me know how that works out.

GRANDMA'S CHRISTMAS BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease two baking sheets and keep warm in a 200° oven. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reaches 240° (soft-ball stage). Stir in butter, salt and peanuts. Continue heating, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 300°., Meanwhile, combine the baking soda, 1 teaspoon water and vanilla. Remove saucepan from the heat. Stir in baking soda mixture. Quickly pour half the mixture over each baking sheet. Spread with a buttered metal spatula to a 1/4-in. thickness. Cool. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.