Peanut Brittle

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Tricks for Treats

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (77)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(77)

Cook Time:
20 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 cups

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Total:: 1 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

1 1/2 cups lightly salted, roasted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
Vegetable oil, for coating the saucepan
Softened butter for spatula

Directions

In a small bowl combine peanuts, cinnamon, and cayenne. Set aside.

Brush the inside of a medium sized heavy saucepan with vegetable oil. Add the sugar and water to the saucepan, cook over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the sugar is a light amber color. Stir in peanuts. This will greatly reduce the temperature of the sugar so work quickly. Once evenly mixed, pour mixture onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat or buttered parchment paper. Using a buttered spatula, spread thin. You will have to work quickly when pouring out and spreading the mixture in the pan. If necessary, in order to achieve single layer of peanuts, top with second sheet pan whose underside has been buttered. Cool completely and then break into pieces.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Peanut Brittle
Joshua Rockford, IL 11-01-2009
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Good brittle
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

He Murphy, from Duluth, your face is a waste of time & money. I admit that the recipe on the web page is shadowed by the... unfortuate use of the word, "amber." However, if you watched the episode, Alton does say that the boiling solution needs to reach 340*F (he actually said 350 + or - 10*). He also goes to great lengths to explain why. Although, quite honestly, the visual aid of the structual formulas, as complex as they were, did not reflect the actual complexity of the range of reactions happening to show why crystal formation could not occur after reaching that temperature. That said, I performed this recipe a few years ago, when I first saw the episode, and tried to use the "amber" color que. It did not work. I ended up with a partially crystallized crunch candy that had a light syrup on the bottom. Obviously, "amber" is not a good term. When I tried again this morning, I used a thermometer and made sure that it reached 340*F. It worked like a charm, and now I am enjoying delicious peanut brittle. BTW, the color was much closer to "caramel," and that makes sense, because 340*F is way past the temperature for true caramelization of a sugar solution.Read more
recipe Peanut Brittle
Elizabeth Waco, TX 10-31-2009
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Yeah for peanut brittle
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I'm clueless to know what light amber is--on other candy making experiences, I've philosophically contemplated the various... shades of amber--so I recommend using a candy thermometer to know when 340 degrees is. Once you reduce the heat to medium, really let the temperature rise slowly to 340. I found the mix of cinnamon and cayenne pepper to be warm and a refreshing take on peanut brittle. Read more
recipe Peanut Brittle
Murphy duluth, MN 10-30-2009
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Why didn't you give a thermometer reading?
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

Waste of time and money.
recipe Peanut Brittle
Kismet Glenview, IL 10-29-2009
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Even with a thermometer - it didn't work
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

I read the instructions and was concerned about the ambiguous "amber" color reference. I looked at the comments from others... who have trie dthe recipe and then pulled out my candy thermometer. I pulled the sugar mixture at 340 degrees and it still crystalized - big time. I'm looking for another recipe.Read more
recipe Peanut Brittle
Cyndie Pelham, AL 10-28-2009
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Don't be scared of the "thermometer needed"...
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Just don't panic. When the sugar first starts taking on color, count to thirty. (Don't bother with the "Mississippi" stuff.)... Then you're done! Some people just try to make cooking TOO hard. Being a professional cook has taught me that to have something turn out great, don't work so much. Don't try to be a control freak. Read more
recipe Peanut Brittle
Kathy Littlestown, PA 05-08-2009
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Don't waste your time, sugar, or peanuts on this very risky recipe!
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

I've been making brittles since I was 12, but I lost my favorite peanut brittle recipe from my mother, so I decided to try... Altons. I love Alton's show, but this is the second of his recipes that flopped miserably. For being such a food science god, this recipe is way too vague, using descriptions such as 'amber' color, and no need for a candy thermometer. I had 4 visitors at my home when I made this and each one of us had a differing opionion as to what 'amber' was. When I poured the mixture onto my cookie sheet it instantly turned into a concrete pile of crystallized sugar. I wasted some very expensive Virginia peanuts, not to mention sugar. Either you get this recipe exactly right (which is impossible with such vague terms as amber) or you blow it. Don't waste your time. I found a great recipe that I've since made several times and it seems to be foolproof and is a much richer flavor and absolutely no guess work. In fact, it tastes so much like my Mom's old fashion recipe, I was delighted to find it. Go to: www.iwant.on.ca/recipes/peanutbrittle.html. Very clear instructions with photos, and use of a candy thermometer or the ice water test--you choose. You will love this recipe, and you can always toss in cinnamon and cayenne pepper for a variation. Thanks for nothing Alton. You're losing credibility with this cook. Read more