Easy Peanut Brittle

While peanut brittle has long been a favored treat during the holiday season, most people won't go through the trouble of making any during the rest of the year. If you happen to love peanut brittle, but would enjoy having a bit of it every now and again throughout the rest of the year, why not try this easy peanut brittle recipe? It is exceptionally easy to make, and tastes wonderful.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1/2 cup corn syrup (light)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of softened butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe:

1. Grease a cookie sheet. The very first thing that you will need to do when making peanut brittle is to grease a large cookie sheet. Simply take some Crisco, or similar product, and a paper towel. Wipe the grease all over the cookie sheet, and then set it aside.
2. Combine and boil. Set your burner to medium heat, and place a large two-quart saucepan onto the burner. In this saucepan you will want to combine the corn syrup, sugar, salt, and water. Stir the mixture until everything is combined, the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture is boiling.
3. Add nuts. Add the peanuts to your mixture, as well as a candy thermometer. Continue to stir everything until either the mixture reaches a temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit, or you can successfully run the cold-water test. That test is where you take a small amount of the mixture, and drop it into very cold water, where the mixture then separates into hard, brittle threads.
4. Remove and add. When you reach the proper temperature, immediately remove the mixture from heat, and stir in the butter and baking soda. Continue to stir until everything is dissolved and mixed together.
5. Pour and pull. After you have the mixture fully prepared, you need to pour it onto the cookie sheet you prepared earlier. With the mixture on the cookie sheet, grab two forks and begin pulling the mixture towards the edges of the cookie sheet, and allow everything to cool.

The recipe as presented here will prepare enough peanut brittle to make a rectangle that is 14 inches by 12 inches. When the peanut brittle is completely cooled off, it will be hard to the touch. At this time you can then take a spoon, mallet, or similar item and begin snapping or breaking the candy into mouth sized pieces. Enjoy!