Peanut Brittle

3 cups sugar
1 ¼ cups corn syrup
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound raw Spanish peanuts (I measure out 4 cups)

In a small bowl, combine the salt, soda and vanilla. Set aside until ready to use. Butter a 17 x 12-inch cookie sheet and set aside on a cooling rack.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and sugar is dissolved. If sugar crystals form on the side of the pan, wipe them off, or cover with a lid until they dissolve, then remove the lid and continue boiling. Put thermometer in saucepan. Cook to 232°F. Remove thermometer. Stir in the raw peanuts and continue cooking, stirring to keep from burning. Cook until the syrup is a beautiful golden brown, stirring constantly.

Add the butter and stir to combine. Remove from heat, and add the salt, soda, and vanilla mixture. Stir well. (The brittle will foam.) Spread onto buttered cookie sheet.

After the candy begins to cool slightly, use a buttered knife to “score” the candy into squares. After the candy cools completely, invert onto a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper, and break it into the squares you scored earlier. Most will be in squares.