Favorite Peanut Brittle Recipe

Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle

A little work, but creates a thick, golden, opaque brittle. Baking Soda makes small bubbles while it sets giving it an open texture.

2 cups Salted Peanuts                                1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup Butter                                            2 Tbls. baking soda

2 cups Sugar                                              1/4 cup water

1 Tbls. vanilla

You need a candy thermometer for this recipe

Spread the peanuts in a singel layer in a 9 x 13 pan or cookie sheet.

 Coat a wooded spoon and the inside of a medium sazed saucepan with vegetable spray.

Add the sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and water into the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir onle enough to dissolve the sugar.

 Cover and let boil another 3 minutes. Remove the cover and use a pastry brush dipped in cool water to "wash down" the sides of the saucepan.

 Combine to boil stirring only enough to keep the mixture from scorching until the boiling point reaches 280 degrees (soft-crack stage) Remove from the hear, add the butter, stirring until melted, then return to the stove top. The syrup may become a golden color.

Continue to boil stirring only enough to keep the mixture from scholring until the boiling point reaches 293 -295 degrees (hard-crack stage)

Remove from the heat, stir in the baking soda (the mixture will begin to foam.) Immediately pour over the peanuts and let cool.

When cool enough to handle, left the brittle and begin pulling on it trying to make it as thin as possible. Return to sheet and let cool to room temperature. Fragment into pieces.

Caramel Corn!

Here is my favorite Caramel Corn recipe - it is really easy

Baked Caramel Corn

6 qts popped corn                                    1 tsp. salt

               1 cup butter                                              1/2 tsp. baking soda

   2 cups brown sugar - packed firmly           1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup (I use dark)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees ( I use a roaster because I usually make a double batch & it just works better for me, but I am sure the oven will work fine.) Coat bottom and sides of large roasting pan with vegetable coating spray.

 Place popped corn in pan.

 In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil stirring constantly.

 Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.

 Gradually pour over popped corn and mix well. Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes - I set a timer just so I don't foget because it will only take a few extra minutes for it to burn! Remove from oven or roaster and cool completely. Break apart and store in a tightly covered container.

This recipe appeared in the magazine Our Ohio and was submitted by Mrs. Richard Shaferly from Alvada