Peanut Brittle

Peanut Brittle
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(452)
Comments
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Here is a recipe for the easiest candy to make: brittle. The only thing even remotely tricky about it is getting the sugar to the tint of brown you want -- not too light, and definitely not too dark, which can happen in a flash. You can use any nut you want with this, but do add some salt if you use unsalted nuts.

Featured in: Have No Fear, It's Only Candy

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1 pound
  • Butter for greasing pan
  • 2cups sugar
  • 2cups roasted peanuts, salted or unsalted, or other nuts
  • Salt, if using unsalted peanuts (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

273 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 34 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 136 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Use a bit of butter to grease a baking sheet, preferably one with a low rim. Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a heavy skillet and turn heat to medium. Stir until smooth, then cook, adjusting heat so that mixture bubbles steadily. Stir occasionally until mixture turns golden brown (which it may do rather suddenly).

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the peanuts and a large pinch of salt, if desired. Pour mixture onto greased baking sheet and spread out. Cool for about a half-hour, then break into pieces. (You can score brittle with a knife when it has solidified slightly but not yet turned hard; that way, it will break into even squares.) Store in a covered container for up to two weeks.

Ratings

4 out of 5
452 user ratings
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Comments

Family recipe: Preheat buttered rimmed cookie sheet at 225. In 10-inch cast iron skillet heat 1.5 c sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup medium-high. As soon as sugar dissolves add 1 lb RAW Spanish peanuts and 0.5 tsp salt. Cook, stirring until amber. Off heat, then add 2 Tbsp butter. Take cookie sheet out of oven. Thoroughly mix one heaping tsp baking soda into syrup. Pour onto cookie sheet.
Peanuts roast in the sugar, baking soda makes it non-stick-in-your-teeth crunchy.

I agree! How is 2 tablespoons even close to being enough? I compared it to other recipes that called for 1 1/2 CUPS of water...

I used this recipe as a base but added 2 TB butter and 1/2 tsp baking soda off the heat after the sugar reached hard crack stage, but before adding the nuts.

I poured the whole thing onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Came out perfectly! As a first time candy maker I was really pleased.

I’ve made peanut brittle before using various recipes, some very similar to the ones posted here. Like a few others I thought two tablespoons of water wasn’t enough, but I stayed faithful to Mark Bittman’s version—he’s never been wrong before. Yes, it took some stirring and some time but like magic it turned to molten sugar and developed a beautiful golden color. It was the best peanut brittle I’ve ever had. Not only delicious but it looks like stained glass. It’s a gorgeous presentation for a simple candy. My only suggestion is about clean-up. While the brittle is cooling fill your sticky skillet with water and boil it with the spoon and whatever else got coated. A few minutes later all the hardened sugar is dissolved.

Do not make this recipe. There is no way it will work. I am not sure why it is on the website.

I was intrigued by the simplicity of the recipe - no corn syrup, no baking soda like most other recipes I’ve seen. But without butter it really lacks the rich flavor that I expected, and it was hard, not crisp. Went to the trash.

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