Recipe: Butter Peanut Brittle, Coconut Brittle, and Coconut Cashew Brittle

BUTTER PEANUT BRITTLE

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups toasted, salted peanuts

Coat the back of a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the butter; set aside.

In a 3-quart heavy bottom saucepan over high heat, cook the sugar, the water and the corn syrup without stirring until it registers 300 degrees F on a sugar thermometer (10 to 15 minutes). Brush down the sides of the pan two times with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and with a long-handled wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, rapidly stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter, the baking soda, vanilla and peanuts. Be careful; the mixture will bubble and foam. Immediately turn the mixture onto the buttered baking sheet and spread it out thin with the wooden spoon. Let the brittle cool for five minutes, then loosen it from the pan with a flexible-blade spatula.

Butter your fingertips with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and stretch the brittle as thin as possible. Let brittle cool completely (about 30 minutes), then break it into pieces with your hands.

In a tightly covered container, the brittle will keep for one week at room temperature.

VARIATIONS:

COCONUT BRITTLE:
Substitute 2 cups lightly toasted, flaked unsweetened coconut and 1/4 teaspoon salt for the peanuts.

COCONUT CASHEW BRITTLE:
Substitute 1 cup toasted, salted cashews and 1 cup lightly toasted, flaked or ribbon unsweetened coconut for the peanuts.

Makes 4 1/2 cups
Adapted from source: Truffles, Candies and Confections by Carole Bloom