Peanut Brittle Its well worth the try and it might take more than one try to get it right but once you do you will be glad you did it. So will your family.

(unlike fudge, this is more time comsuming and takes some practice. Much better than microwave and eveyone will love it. When you get it down, you will be a hero in your family or neighborhood)
The first thing I do is pur together in a small bowl 1-1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking soda and mix well and set this aside. Have 2 TBS butter ready to go and out of wrapper for later use. Spray or grease a large cookie sheet or jellyroll pan to use later also. Have vanilla on hand. This ingredients I have given you will be used immediately after it has reached its cooking temperture.

1 candy thermometer (unless you use the cold water way that I will tell you about. Thats what I do. Found it to works better)
Get a large sauce pan. A soup size pan works best and a wooden spoon.
Add: 3/4 cup hot water
1 cup corn syrup (light)
2 Cups sugar
Stir these ingredients very often as not to burn. Cook on about med or a bit higher as you get more use to it and cook to a softball stage. ( I will put the directions in at the bottom)
Then add 1 -1/2 to 2 Cups raw peanuts and continue stirring very often. This will take a while.

Softball stage is found by having about 1/2 c cold water in small cup. Place a few drops of mixture (karo, sugar and water) into cup:
Softball can be picked up but flattens and a Hard Crack when small amount is placed in cold water seperates into hard and brittle threads. In my more lame terms, softball I drop it in, look at it and if it looks like I could pull it out I reach in water pull up stuff and if it feels soft but stays together pretty good then I put in the peanuts. Doesnt have to be exact for this part. Hard Crack stage is a little harder to tell for peanut brittle. You cook it too long and the flavor isnt as good. Cook it to little and it sticks to your teeth. So, drop in small amount of mixture(karo, water, sugar, stuff which now has peanuts but dont use nuts to test) into COLD water. It will set up hard. Then remove it and will be hard and look like thin threads for the most part. When you break it in half it falls apart. ( kind of like blown glass)
Another trick to good Brittle is the color. This is where thermometer can come in handy for your first few times. when you are first cooking, it is a pretty clear color, as it gets closer to hard crack stage it will change to kind of a light carmel color, check with your themometer (300-310 degrees) Then use cold water test to make sure. The next part you need to move quickly. Remove all kids from kitchen. Quickly add the 2 TB butter stir to melt. Add soda and salt mixture. Stir to mix and then add vanilla and stir. Spray wooden spoon with cooking spray or with butter, and spread across pan. It takes some time but brittle is to be thin as you can get it. Keep spreading until whole pan is full. Smash and spread and pull with spoon. I havent tried it yet but they say to warm pan up some (this would be like 200 degrees pop out of oven just before you have to spread it. I am going to try it on my next bunch. Once you get the hang of it its not bad and the taste is well worth the work. You will learn to take it off stove by color almost. I would be happy to show you some time if you are willing to come to my house. Let me know.

Trudy's Amazing Christmas Fudge
Make this for friends and family and you will be asked to bring it for every holiday party. People will think you slaved over it. Little do they know you only take five minutes.

2 TBL Butter(marg is ok, unslated butter is best)
1 Can sweet and condensed milk
3 1/2 Cups semi-sweet NESTLE chocolate chips
(have tried other kinds and this is what makes the great taste)
1 tsp vanilla (pure is best of course but whatever is on hand)


Prepare a pan about 8x5 maybe. I use the foil pans from store. Either way, line with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. This makes it very easy to remove from pan and cut. Make sure pan is ready before you start cooking. As I promised, this goes fast.
Melt butter on med or just a bit higher, add condensed milk, mix and then add choc chips. Stir untill melted. Do not over cook. Just needs to be melted. Turn off heat and add vanilla. At this point you may add marshmellows (about a large handful ) or chopped nuts (3/4 c). Just add and stir to mix. When I take to parties I do one nuts, one marshmellow and one plain. Covers some allergy problems. Cover with lids or foil and place outside if you have an area or in the fridge. If you need them to harden up fast freezer works just fine. pull out liner and pull off of chocolate. With top up, cut into desired size pieces. Like 1inx 1 in or so. Good luck. any questions call me. These are seriously like 5 minutes and are amazing.