Peanut Brittle

Ingredients:
1 tsp butter
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cup peanuts (I prefer Spanish peanuts)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix and set aside butter and baking soda. Mix and boil sugar, water and syrup to hardball (about 250 degrees).

Add peanuts and stir until yellow (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and add butter mixture and vanilla.

Pour onto greased baking sheet.

Put in a package for your father-in-law because he loves it and it's a tradition to bring him some at Christmas... :)

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing. I do this recipe to the letter each time.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I'm not a huge fan of brittle but I'm happy to make it for my father-in-law who loves it.

TIPS:
1. Mix the butter and baking soda. Have it prepared on a spoon so it can be mixed quickly into the recipe. Also set aside the vanilla where it can also be quickly added.

2. When you mix and boil the sugar, water and corn syrup, it will take several minutes to get to 250. But watch it, because it will go from about 230 to 250 really quickly. You will definitely need a candy thermometer.

3. When you add the peanuts, stir constantly. I keep the heat around 5-6. Too much lower and it will take a really long time to cook, too much higher and it will cook before you can blink. As SOON as you see the yellow color appear, push the pot off the heat and throw in the vanilla and the butter mixture. STIR, STIR, STIR! Otherwise it will burn, burn, burn. Immediately pour it onto a greased baking sheet.

4. I recommend using a metal spoon for all your stirring and stuff. I've never used anything besides metal because I think the heat would melt a lot of stuff. This is one of the hardest recipes I've ever tried, but if you do it once you can do it a thousand times.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 tsp butter
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cup peanuts (I prefer Spanish peanuts)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix and set aside butter and baking soda. Mix and boil sugar, water and syrup to hardball (about 250 degrees).
Add peanuts and stir until yellow (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and add butter mixture and vanilla.
Pour onto greased baking sheet.