One of my most favorite Christmas goodies is good old-fashioned Peanut Brittle. The crunch. The Salt. The Sweet. It’s amazing!
Peanut Brittle generally happens to be very easy to make. But I’ve found that traditional brittle takes way too much time. Waiting for 300 degrees to hit on that candy thermometer while constantly stirring; isn’t exactly how I want to spend my Christmas prepping. And what momma of littles really has time for that? Me. And maybe you too?!
Over the years I occasionally through trial and era have tossed out several pounds of my brittle failure. I even chewed and chewed, and swallowed because I couldn’t stand seeing it tossed out.
Well, this year once again – I made my favorite Christmas delight like I do each year. Mind you, I haven’t had a failed attempt for a couple years now, this recipe is AMAZING and super easy. It really will give any non cook kitchen credibility that will make them soar! Serious business people.
But this was THE year for a failure to happen. But did you know that even a change in moisture in your home can mess with this crunchy goodness? Well, not sure if it was me, or the moisture but we’ll go with the moisture. ::grin:: I literally had 2 pounds of this stuff where I could actually roll it up like a jelly roll; yet it was firm enough to chew, and chew, and chew…you get the sad idea.
I threw my jelly-rolled brittle into a microwave save bowl. Cooked it for 1 minutes intervals, and then stirred. It took about 5 minutes total stirring between each minute – when it finally reached the candy stage again. Poured and spread it onto my greased cookie sheet. And guess what?……
I was able to reclaim my peanut brittle! YES!!!
So, if you had a brittle failure this year, don’t throw that crunchy golden goodness out – it’s worth reclaiming!
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Microwave Peanut Brittle
Source: GracedSimplicity.com
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1⁄2 cup light corn syrup
- 1⁄2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 1⁄2 cups salted peanuts
- 1 1⁄2 cups salted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Spray a serving spoon with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly grease a 10″ x 15″ or larger baking sheet.
- Mix together the sugar and corn syrup in a large microwave-safe bowl and stir until well combined; the mixture will be stiff and hard to stir. Be sure to use a large enough bowl; the sugar/corn syrup should fill it no more than 1/4 to 1/3 full.
- Microwave the sugar mixture uncovered on high power for 5 minutes; it will bubble vigorously.
- Add the peanuts and butter, and stir well to combine. Speed is key! The cooler the mixture becomes the harder it will be to stir.
- Replace the bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 2 to 4 minutes, until the mixture turns a nice medium-brown caramel color. Start watching carefully around the 2-minute mark, and remove when the caramel color is achieved.
- Add the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will bubble furiously upon the addition of these ingredients — this is what gives the candy the perfect airy texture. (This is also why you need to use a large bowl.) Stir quickly to combine. The finished mixture will look creamy and caramelized.
- Working quickly, pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and spread it as evenly as possible. If you end up with an uneven spread, don’t worry — the candy should still set up nicely, even in the thicker areas.
- Once the brittle has set and cooled (30 to 60 minutes), flip your pan upside down, and give it a couple bangs. Your brittle should fall out of the pan. Next take a metal spoon or meat mallet and break it into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
- Makes 1 pound of brittle.
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