Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle

Makes about 2 cups, broken into bits
Ingredients

1 c. sugar

½ c. light corn syrup

1 c. dry roasted peanuts

1/8 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Butter, or margarine

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Baking soda



In a 1½ qt. Microwave safe bowl, stir together the sugar and corn syrup. I like to use a 4 cup pyrex container with a handle... because this gets scary HOT and believe me, you're going to want a handle!



Get the peanuts, salt, vanilla and baking soda ready to go because you really need to be able to get your hands on the premeasured ingredients PRONTO!



Microwave the sugar and corn syrup for about 5 minutes, stirring twice.  It will just be starting to get some carmel color at the end of 5 minutes.  Add the peanuts, butter and the salt, mix it well and return to the microwave for another 1 1/2 minute.  Stir it, it might look like it's getting ready to burn.... you want it to get close, but NOT to burn! 

Add the vanilla to the soda and then add to the hot syrup & peanut mixture.  It will start to look foamy... this is good, but acting quickly, spread it out onto the lightly greased pan.  Try not to spread it around with any utensil.... just let it be.  Sometimes I lightly smack the entire pan on the counter to get it to spread out and become flat.  Whatever you do, DO NOT TOUCH IT - - -oh yeah, it is sticky hot and will burn the whole time you are trying to get yourself unstuck from this molten mass!!!

Let Brittle cool for 30 minutes and then break into pieces.  Makes about 2 pounds.

*** In case you're wondering, I only photographed those 4 pieces shown at the top of the blog because that's all that was left when I discovered I had taken all the pictures but the one I really wanted... the final product!



Round Two cooking… make more and use it for:

• Gifts, this is an easy way to bag up a batch of peanut brittle as a thank you, or to include as part of a Holiday sweet treat tray.

What else would this technique work on???

• Any type of nut... I use dry roasted peanuts mainly because I like them, but I have also made this with cashews, pecans or whole almonds. I've done it with roasted, salted and raw nuts... it always seems to turn out.
• Without NUTS.... have you ever had See's Candies "Seafoam" candy?  Basically, it's the brittle without the nuts in a thicker format and then dipped in dark, or milk chocolate.