Peanut Brittle

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw Spanish peanuts
• 1 cup white sugar
• 0.5 cup light corn syrup
• 0.5 cup water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Steps

1. Set out several sheets of foil to receive spoonfuls of the hot peanut brittle.
2. Combine the sugar, syrup, and water in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat and stir regularly until the syrup reaches the hard-ball stage. Heat to 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or drop a little syrup into cold water and check whether it forms a rigid ball. Without a candy thermometer, hold a spoon above the mixture occasionally and let the syrup drip from it. At the hard-ball stage, the falling syrup forms hairlike strands that look like a clear spider web.
3. Add the raw peanuts when the mixture reaches the hard-ball stage. The peanuts will pop a little. Take the skillet off the stove when the mixture starts turning a light, clear brown, as if it is starting to burn. Stir in the baking soda. The mixture will foam up.
4. Spoon the mixture onto unbuttered foil in bite-size portions, stirring constantly between each couple of pieces. Alternatively, pour it onto unbuttered foil in one large piece, let it cool, and then break it into smaller pieces.