My Christmas Gift to You: Recipe for Peanut Brittle

  Merry Christmas, dear readers! (And a happy  Hanukkah, Kwanza, Solstice and "Festivus to the rest of us!") The onset of the holiday season, as well as a request made by a dear friend of mine from nursing school (Jerrica - this one's for you, girl!), have been the inspiration for my gift to  you all this year - my favorite candy recipe -
 PEANUT BRITTLE!

 You will need:

    A candy thermometer.
    A wooden spoon
    A 3 quart saucepan
    Either one half sheet pan, or 2 smaller cookie
    sheets.
    A cooling rack
    A stove
    Measuring cups & spoons

    Ingredients:

    2 cups granulated white sugar
    1 cup light corn syrup
    1/2 cup water
    1 cup (2 sticks) butter
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    As many dry roasted peanuts as you like (other nuts may be substituted as well)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in the 3 quart saucepan.

2  Cook on medium-low heat (setting 4-5 on an electric stove) and stir until the sugar dissolves.

3.  When syrup boils, blend in the butter. 

4.  Stir frequently after the mixture reaches the syrup stage (as marked on the candy thermometer). 

5.  Add nuts when the temperature reaches the soft crack stage (280 degrees F).

6.   Stir constantly until the temperature reaches the hard crack stage (305 degrees F).  Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the baking soda, mixing thoroughly.  Then, quickly pour the mixture onto the cookie sheet(s).

7.   Before the candy cools, spread it out as thinly as possible with the flat of the wooden spoon.

8.  Allow to cool completely. 

9.  When it is cool, loosen it from the cookie sheet by lifting up on one edge of the candy and/or slightly twisting the cookie sheet.  Then, crack into pieces and serve. 

Eat and enjoy!

The peanut brittle will last approximately 1 month in an airtight container, or even longer containerized in the refrigerator. 

BONUS TIPS:

    This recipe reminds me of chemistry class because you need to measure things out EXACTLY, and to read the candy thermometer PRECISELY.  This is very important!

 Do not try to walk away from this recipe to do or cook other things!  If you ignore it, you will burn it.

    Keep the candy moving - stir, stir, stir!  And stir deeply! Scrape the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon.  Again, this is to avoid burning.

    Move quickly on steps 6 &7.  It is a good idea to measure out the baking soda ahead of time so that you can dump it into the mixture when the temperature is EXACTLY 305 degrees F.

    You do not need to grease the cookie sheets. There is enough butter in the recipe that it will not stick. I promise.

    To clean your pan, spoon and thermometer, simply run them under hot water until the candy dissolves off of them.  Or, you can find a lucky child to use the wooden spoon as an all-day sucker. 

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Thank you for reading!  Read more soon! :)