That Fun Treat Ppeanut Brittle

Now that the weather is cooler and ideal for candy making, it's time to start thinking about peanut brittle.This is a simple and yummy treat to whip up. It requires just simple ingredients and it's a good way to introduce older kids to candy making. Besides there's nothing like munching on brittle during a Saturday night movie.



Peanut brittle's popularity came about in 1903s thanks to George Washing Carver's mass introduction of th e legume to American palates. The recipe is actually probably been older thanks to the Southern folklore legend of Tony Beaver. It is said that he stopped a dam from flooding by using just molasses and peanuts. There are even recipes from around 1847 that call for ground nuts cooked in a mix of molasses and butter. The mixture was then left to harden in a baking tin. Other nuts used at the time were almonds and cashews but I suspect peanut brittle was probably the most popular and the most made.



Peanut brittle is a simple enough recipe to follow. A basic recipe is just cooking up granulated sugar, corn syrup, water and raw peanuts. Tthis produces a brown transparent brittle. If you want one that's the color of caramel add butter or margarine along with baking soda. I prefer the e first because I think the taste is purer. If you do want a buttery flavoring then grease a cookie sheet or brownie tuin with butter before you pore in the mixture. Also you can dip the hardened brittled pieces into melted dark chocolate for a more decadent taste.

peanut brittle is a fun and easy treat to make. It basically takes sugar and nuts and then cooking them together to form the best candy on earth. It's a fun way to spend an autumn Saturday afternoon.

Here is an easy recipe that I found at AOL Food.

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 cups raw peanuts, blanched or unblanched
Vegetable oil, for the baking sheet

Cooking Instructions
1 Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in an 8-cup glass measure. Cook, uncovered, at 100% for 3 minutes.
2 Remove from oven and stir thoroughly. Add peanuts; stir again. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook at l00% for 15 minutes.
3 Lightly coat a spatula and a large baking sheet or 16"x12" marble slab with vegetable oil. Remove syrup from oven. Pierce plastic with the tip of a sharp knife and uncover carefully. Pour mixture onto oiled surface. With the oiled spatula, spread peanuts to distribute them evenly through cooling syrup. Let harden.
4 When brittle is cool, break into chunks with a wooden mallet or rolling pin. Store in an airtight container.