Microwave Peanut Brittle is crunchy, buttery, and tastes wonderfully of roasted peanuts. It's so easy; you don't even need a candy thermometer. Be prepared for it to be requested every holiday season.
Microwave Peanut Brittle
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups shelled raw peanuts
1 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Grease baking sheet heavily with butter (additional butter...not the butter used in the recipe). Combine sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a 2.5 quart microwave-safe (glass or Pyrex) mixing bowl. Stir in peanuts. Microwave at HIGH (100%) until light brown approximately 7-9 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir once or twice during cooking.
Stir in remaining ingredients until light and foamy (will only take a few seconds). Quickly spread on buttered baking sheet. Spread as thinly as possible. Cool; break into pieces.
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Microwave Peanut Brittle 101:
Give this recipe a trial run before making it for others to gauge how quickly your microwave will cook the mixture as microwave ovens vary. I have a new microwave (1000 watts), and it takes 8 minutes. If your microwave's wattage is the same as mine, try 8 minutes for your first batch. If it has a higher wattage, cook for less time, and if it has a lower wattage, cook for more time. If, after the candy completely cools, it is a bit chewy and/or pale, you'll know you need to microwave it a bit longer next time. If it tastes like it cooked too long, you'll know to scale back the time. If it's only slightly under- or overcooked, increase or decrease your time by 10 seconds. This peanut brittle will stay fresh in a zippered storage bag for several weeks.
I use a sandwich bag to spread the butter on the baking sheet. I cover the entire bottom of the sheet with butter:
Measure all ingredients before starting:
Mix the sugar, corn syrup, and salt with a wooden spoon because of the candy's eventual high temperature. For the same reason, use a microwave-safe mixing bowl that can withstand the high temperature. Glass or Pyrex bowls work well. The mixture will be very thick and difficult to mix. Stir in the peanuts:
Microwave at HIGH (100%) until light brown approximately 7-9 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir twice during cooking. Here is the mixture at the first and second stirs:
Stir in remaining ingredients until light and foamy (will only take a few seconds):
Quickly spread on buttered baking sheet with two metal spoons. They work much better than wooden spoons for this purpose. Spread as thinly as possible. Mixture will continue to look foamy until it starts to harden. Don't worry about getting every smidgen of candy out of the bowl and onto the baking sheet. The most important thing is getting the candy spread quickly before it starts to harden.
Soak the bowl and spoons in the hottest tap water you have. The candy stuck to the bowl will eventually dissolve:
Cool and break into pieces. If needed, I use a metal spatula to loosen sections. Enjoy!
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