Cinnamon Vanilla Peanut Brittle
Making homemade peanut brittle always intimidated me. Temperatures and consistencies are crucial in making candy, and I always figured I didn’t have the patience in the kitchen for it. Over the years of making peanut brittle I’m always pleasantly surprised how easy it is. Sure, not every batch turns out perfect and I’ve had a few failed attempts of slightly gummy brittle, but once you get the hang of a few batches you’ll know what color of syrup you want. Then it’s easy peasy.
I like brittle because it’s a nice balance to the cookies and chocolates that are every where during the holiday season. Brittle is a little salty and a little crunchy (so basically opposite of those frosting covered Christmas sugar cookies), but still sweet and delicious. The cinnamon and vanilla make this recipe so very yummy. So get your buns in the kitchen!
Cinnamon Vanilla Peanut Brittle Recipe
Makes 10 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 2 cups peanuts (roasted, unsalted)
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- In a large saucepan add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup corn syrup and heat, uncovered over medium heat. Use a whisk to constantly stir the syrup until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
- Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the syrup turns clear. Check the temperature with a candy thermometer until it reaches 300 degrees.
- Add 2 cups peanuts, 1 tsp butter, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and reduce heat to low. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to turn amber.
- Add 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir with the wooden spoon until the mix becomes light and foamy. Turn off the heat.
- Quickly spread the peanut mixture while still hot on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Let the brittle cool completely for at least 1 hour. (Speed up the cooling by placing in the refrigerator or cool area.) Break the brittle into bite sized pieces.
You want your brittle to crunch when you bite it. You don’t want it to be gummy or chewy. If your brittle is more sticky than crunchy it means you did not get the sugar hot enough before adding the peanuts. If you have a candy thermometer aim for 300 degrees. If you don’t have one you can still have great brittle, just make sure you cook the sugar and syrup until it becomes clear and when you add the peanuts wait until the mixture starts to become golden.
I learned the hard way that wax paper and parchment paper are not interchangeable! Make sure you use parchment paper or else your brittle will stick to the wax paper and be inedible. If you don’t have any parchment paper, you can substitute a greased baking sheet.
The leftover sugar on the saucepan and on your utensils will harden quickly making it very difficult to clean. As soon as you are done spreading the brittle I recommend you wash your dishes so they don’t have to soak for days.