Kim determined at one time she was going to attempt peanut brittle and it didn’t turn out too bad (except the one time she used roasted peanuts – yuck!) Now, Kim makes peanut brittle for Shalon and Shalon makes caramel corn for Kim!

Kim smiles as Victoria takes her picture at the Renaissance Festival in Atlanta in 1998.

2 cups sugar

1 cup corn syrup

2 cups raw peanuts

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Candy thermometer (a must)

Have all the ingredients ready ahead of time as well as a large cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and raw peanuts in a large pot. Cook to hard crack stage (285º F.) Add the butter, vanilla, and baking soda and stir vigorously. As you add the baking soda, the mixture will start to foam. Remove from heat, pour the peanut brittle onto the cookie sheet and spread as thinly as possible and as quickly as possible. After it has thoroughly cooled, break into pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Tips:

  • As soon as the hard crack stage is reached, move quickly. If you move too slowly while your pot is still on the stove, your sugars will burn. If you move too slowly after its poured onto the cookie sheet, your peanut brittle will cool too fast and be too thick. 
  • Don’t be tempted to taste test until cool. Hot sugar is worse than a hot glue gun!
  • Do not make peanut brittle on a humid day.

Desserts, 2001