Easy Peanut Brittle

Peanut brittle is one of those candies that I never understood. My grandpa loved it and I could never understand why. I like peanuts, sugar and butter, but the combination never held any appeal for me. However, I was looking for a Christmas candy to make for gifts and I failed miserably at my first attempt at fudge so this seemed like a good idea for the second shot. I got this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs Brown Eyed Baker. Um: WOW! I to give it away immediately because it's that good. I took it with me on my trip to California last week and only half of it landed in Orange County with me. It's simple (you don't even need a candy thermometer!) and it's delicious.

Watch for the sugar mixture to start to turn a golden color. And make sure once you add the baking soda, butter and peanuts that you mix quickly and get it spread on the pan as fast as possible. It will harden up very quickly.

**Note: I made 2 batches of this. The first batch I had a partially used 16 oz jar of unsalted peanuts, maybe 12 ounces. The second batch I made the recipe exactly as listed on her website. I don't know if salted vs. unsalted or more vs. less made the differnece, but I preferred the first batch. The following is my adaptation of the original recipe. Both are very good though!!!

Easy Peanut Brittle

Yield: About 1½ pounds

Cook Time: 25 minutes | Set Time: 15 minutes

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker - Peanut Brittle Recipe

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

½ cup light corn syrup

½ teaspoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ teaspoon baking soda

12 oz. unsalted (or lightly salted) dry-roasted peanuts

Instructions:

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high and cook until deep golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in butter, baking soda, and peanuts (mixture will foam). Stir until mixture is no longer bubbling and caramel is smooth, 1 minute.

3. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread with a lightly greased spatula. Let cool until firm, 15 minutes. Break into pieces. The brittle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.