(c) 2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Love peanut brittle but hate how long it takes to make? Then this Microwave Peanut Brittle recipe is for you! In less than 10 minutes your peanut brittle is fully cooked in the microwave. It's fast and easy, and I bet you won't even notice a difference from traditional peanut brittle. Try it with other nuts too!
Yield: about 1-1/4 lb
Ingredients:
- 1 cup salted peanuts
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp room temperature butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
Preparation:
1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil very thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Stir until the corn syrup moistens the sugar—it will clump together like wet sand.
3. Microwave the bowl on high power for four minutes. The sugar mixture should be bubbling up and the nuts should start to look a little toasted. After four minutes, remove it carefully from the microwave and stir thoroughly with a spatula.
4. Microwave it for another four minutes on high power. At this point, the nuts should be fragrant and the sugar syrup a darker color. Now add the butter and vanilla extract and stir them in until well-combined.
5. Microwave the bowl for one more minute, then add the baking soda. As you stir it in, the candy will get very foamy and opaque. Keep stirring until all of the candy has a foamy texture, then pour the candy in a thin layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Let the candy cool for a few minutes, then use well-oiled hands to carefully stretch and pull it thinner. The thinner you get the candy, the more "brittle" it will be, so work quickly and carefully, because it will be hot.
7. Let the peanut brittle cool completely at room temperature. When it's completely hard and set, break it into small pieces to serve. Store peanut brittle in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to two weeks. In heavy humidity, it might get soft and sticky after several days.
