For many people, it’s just not the holidays until they’ve tasted some peanut brittle. Scotty Jackson, owner and operator of Appletree Chocolate, located on Campus Corner in Norman, offers the following recipe so you can whip up a batch in your own kitchen—for you and your family to enjoy or for holiday gift-giving.
Since 2015, Apple Tree Chocolate has been a popular stop for all kinds of delicious, handcrafted caramel apples, chocolates and unique gifts. Life is sweet! At Apple Tree Chocolate, they are still doing their candy the old-fashioned way.
So, give a gift that’s made with care, made with love and made locally. Check out their selection at AppleTreeChocolate.com!
Apple Tree Chocolate’s Peanut Brittle
What you'll need:
A large pot
Candy thermometer or an infrared thermometer
Food scale that can do lbs. and ounces
Heat-resistant spatula
Two 18x13-inch cookie sheets
Cooking spray or a stick of butter
Ingredients:
2 lbs. white sugar
1 lb. light corn syrup
1 oz. salted butter
1.5 lbs. raw or Spanish Peanuts
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup water
.6 oz. baking soda
Pro Tip: Spice it up by adding 2-3 teaspoons of red pepper flakes!
Yields approximately 5 lbs. of peanut brittle. Using weights on most of the ingredients helps to ensure that our formula is correct—because candy-making is high science!
Instructions:
Grease pan with cooking spray. *Optional: heat oven to 250 degrees F. Add cookie sheets to oven while brittle is cooking, apply cooking spray once you've removed them from the oven.
Place sugar, corn syrup and water in a large pot and marry the ingredients; cook on medium high heat. Stir frequently. Bring to a boil, trying your best to scrape the sides of the pot as you go. Minimal stirring is needed at this point.
Bring mixture to 240 degrees F. and add your peanuts (for best results, use raw peanuts) and stir. Cook to 290 degrees and add the butter. It is very important to wait until this point to add the butter, as it helps ensure that your end result is not too sticky. Continue to stir. Cook the mixture to 300-310 degrees, depending on desired color.
Add baking soda and stir. Mixture will puff. Give it another stir, let it lower, and puff up a second time. Now it's time to pour mixture out. Each cookie sheet should be able to hold half the mixture. Pour as evenly as you can. Spread the mixture with your spatula as thin as possible. Let cool for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Break up the brittle and enjoy!