Jimmy's Peanut Brittle

The following recipe and method for making the world famous “Jimmy’s Peanut Brittle” is being divulged with permission. Jim Chandler has become famous in Northern Indiana for his much loved brittle.

Recipe:

2 cups of sugar
1 cup of light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 cups of raw peanuts
2 teaspoons of baking soda

Method:

1. First of all, dampen a couple of towels and spread them on a flat surface.
2. Place a cookie sheet on top of the towels and smear butter over the cookie sheet to keep the stuff from sticking.
3. Prepare a glass of water to put the thermometer in later.
4. Measure out the baking soda and have it ready for later.
5. In a 3 quart sauce pan, dump in the sugar, corn syrup and water.
6. Put the pan on the stove top and turn the burner on high.
7. Put a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan. (use a heat pad whenever you touch the thermometer.)
8. Stir the stuff with a wooden paddle until the sugar dissolves.
9. Keep stirring it once in awhile until it starts to boil.
10. Slide in the butter (don’t let it plop in cause you don’t want it to splash.
11. Stir frequently and bring the temperature to 250 degrees.
12. Dump in the peanuts and stir it up good.
13. Stir it once in awhile and allow the temperature to come up to 310 degrees.
14. Take out the thermometer and put it in the glass of water.
15. Shut off the burner and put the pan on a cool surface.
16. Add the baking soda.
17. Stir it up well until the mixture begins to change color.
18. Pour the stuff onto the buttered cookie sheet
19. After a minute or so, slip a metal spatula under the brittle all the way around.
20. Invert the spatula and slide it under the brittle and then move it towards the outside of the cookie sheet stretching it so as to make the stuff as thin as possible. That's sort of learned technique but you'll get the hang of it. You can also use your fingers to stretch it but be careful not to burn yourself.
21. Take a pair of scissors and cut the stuff into four sections.
22. Flip the four sections over.
23. Put the cookie sheet outside to cool off.
24. Bring it in and break it into your preferred size.
25. Start eating it or put it into plastic bags…………………...Makes 2 1/2 pounds
26. Next time you make it, try using pecans.

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