Peanut Brittle

Every Christmas my mother made peanut brittle.  I remember that it was a little tricky, but very worth the effort.  It is the best peanut brittle in the world.

Peanut Brittle:
2 cups sugar
1 cup white Karo syrup
1 cup water

Prepare a cookie sheet by buttering it and have it sitting on top of a cooling rack on the counter or table with plenty of room to work.

Mix ingredients together then turn on heat.  Bring to a boil using medium to medium high heat but do not stir.  Cook on medium heat and let boil until the thread stage or hard crack. (Dip a wooden spoon into the mixture and lift up the spoon.  When it is ready, it will have a thin little thread of candy fly off to the side. (If using a candy thermometer then cook until about 235 degrees -- about 35 minutes.  My mom never used a thermometer so that is a temperature I got by ready other recipes.  You may need to adjust it.)
Reduce heat a little (medium) and add 2 cups of raw peanuts while stirring constantly until the mixture is a light brown.
Turn off heat and stir in 1/4 lb. butter, 1 tsp vanilla.
Next add 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda.  The mixture will bubble up.
Quickly pour mixture onto the buttered cookie sheet.  Using forks, begin carefully pulling the candy around the edges and stretching it out.  Continue working your way from the edges toward the center -- pulling and stretching the candy into thin, small pieces.
The secret is that is peanut brittle is in nice small thin pieces that are easy to eat.

--Sharon Kaye