Peanut Brittle

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Tricks for Treats

Rated: 3 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (92)

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
Lisa Lafayette Hill, PA 01-15-2010
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Just use a thermometer
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

First time making peanut brittle and it came out great!! I was thrilled. It took a bit longer than I expected to make it up... to temperature, but that is why it might be necessary to use a thermometer rather than rely on color. Just make sure to stir thoroughly before pouring the mixture out of the pan :)Read more
recipe Peanut Brittle
Kelly Chicago, IL 12-29-2009
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worst everrrrr
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

waste of ingredients. waste of my time.
recipe Peanut Brittle
Keith Harrison Twp, MI 12-23-2009
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Great
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is a great recipe and very easy. If yoiu have trouble then have a bowl of water avaliable with a pastry brush . If... crystalization happens brush down the sides of pot with water.. But you shouldn't have to do this with this recipe. Chef KeithRead more
recipe Peanut Brittle
George Ennis, TX 12-23-2009
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Waste of Money and Time
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

Two tries at this recipe and I'm done. Imprecise instructions lean to a crystaline inedible clump of sugar spice and... peanuts. Others rec use of thermometer to determine amber at >340 degrees. Guess I never got there and maybe never will!Read more
recipe Peanut Brittle
Dan Campbell, CA 12-23-2009
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Not sure what is wrong
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

I tried this twice today and both times failed completely - followed the recipe and instructions to the letter, sugar never... turned amber and finally when it was getting thicker, I added the nuts and it immediately turned into a block of sugar peanuts. Tried again, thinking I must have done something different from the recipe, but same results. I am trying a different recipe - this one does not work for me!Read more
recipe Peanut Brittle
natalie downey, CA 12-20-2009
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BETTER RECIPE THAT NEVER FAILS!
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1629,146164-228200,00.html I have made this over and over and it NEVER fails....Add... whatever you want to fancy it up a bit =) ...........You will have great peanut brittle in about 15mins!Read more