Peanut Brittle

This peanut brittle reminds me of Korean Taffy Candy called "Yut", 엿. As a child in Korea, I remember how excited I'd get hearing the "Yut" man's soliciting cry. "Here is Yut! Your Yut is here! Come and buy it!" A man pushing his two-wheeled handcart with assorted Korean traditional taffy candy would get all the neighborhood kids scurrying to the main street. I would beg for a coin or two from my mom and dash off to join my friends to get a piece cut off by the "Yut" man. Oh, how wonderful that tasted!

Do you want to see how Yut was cut back then? Watch this:



Yut is made with rice/malt mixture and texture is hard but chewy, perfect consistency for losing a dental crown. All sorts of ingredients are added such as pumpkin seeds, black and white sesame seeds, and of course the peanuts, which is my favorite!

Another reason I am posting this brittle recipe is because it's a part of the Peanut Brittle Ice Cream Pie recipe which I made for this Sunday fellowship dinner. I don't know about you, but even as an experienced cook, I get little overwhelmed when I see a recipe that is three pages long. So I am breaking it down for you. Here is part one of the Peanut Brittle Ice Cream Pie Recipe.

1. Make Peanut Brittle.


Sugar, water, dark and light corn syrup is cooked first. Then add peanuts & baking soda.

Spread mixture thin. I should have used two commercial full size sheet pans, instead of one to make this thinner. *kick, kick* What was I thinking? But with a pot of bubbling candy lava mixture in my hand, there was no turning back. So my brittle is much thicker than I wanted. But who is going to know but you?


Peanut Brittle

3 cups sugar
2 cups water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
4 cups coarsely chopped salted roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Stir first 4 ingredients in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 260°F., about 40 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Mix in peanuts and butter and cook until thermometer registers 295°F., stirring constantly, about 15 minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla and stir briskly (mixture will foam up). Immediately pour out onto prepared baking sheets, dividing evenly. Spread out brittle as thinly as possible. Let stand until cold and hard.

Break brittle into pieces. Store in airtight containers at room temperature. (Can be prepared 1 month ahead.)