Peanut Brittle

Name: Peanut Brittle
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1 baking sheet
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar; ¼ cup water; 1 cup white Karo (light corn syrup); Pinch salt; ½ tsp vanilla; 1½ cups raw peanuts; 1 Tbsp butter; 2 tsp baking soda; Butter, to grease the cookie sheet

Marye Cookies & Bars

Serves 1 baking sheet Prep 5 min Cook About 15 min

Old-fashioned peanut brittle, broken into pieces.

Handwritten card from 'Reatha B.' on a 'What's cookin'' stove card.

From a handwritten 'What's cookin'' card (antique cast-iron stove design). Attributed in the 'Recipe from the kitchen of' line to a Reatha Beard (confirmed by another card from her in the collection).

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup white Karo (light corn syrup)
Pinch salt
½ tsp vanilla
1½ cups raw peanuts
1 Tbsp butter
2 tsp baking soda
Butter, to grease the cookie sheet

Instructions

1. Butter a cookie sheet generously and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, white Karo, salt, and vanilla.
3. Cook to the brittle stage — about 300°F on a candy thermometer.
4. Add the raw peanuts and the 1 Tbsp butter.
5. Cook, stirring constantly, until light brown in color.
6. Add the 2 tsp baking soda and stir quickly — the candy will foam up.
7. Immediately pour onto the buttered cookie sheet, spreading thin.
8. Cool completely, then break into pieces.

Notes

Marye's card groups the sugar, water, Karo, salt, and vanilla together with a bracket and "cook to brittle stage 300°" — they're the candy syrup base. The peanuts, butter, and soda are added in sequence after the syrup hits temperature.