Old-Time Peanut Brittle

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Old-Time Peanut Brittle3/4 cup sugar3/4 cup light corn syrup1/4 cup water3 tablespoons butter or margarine (at room temperature)1 1/2 cup shelled raw peanuts or coarsely chopped raw cashews 2 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon baking sodaThe key to perfect brittle is adding baking soda. It reacts with thecaramelized sugar to make the candy porous and not too hard-so it'seasy to eat. Makes about 1 pound (50 pieces). Preparation time: 20 minutes. Chilling time: 30 minutes.Step 1:Butter a large baking sheet; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan,combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and butter. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon todissolve sugar. (Avoid splashing mixture on to side of the pan.) Boilfor 3 minutes. If using a candy thermometer, carefully clip to theside of the pan, making sure the bulb is immersed but not touching the bottom of pan.Step 2:Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, to 240°F on candythermometer, soft-ball stage (10 to 12 minutes). (Or, use this coldwater test. Using a spoon, drop small amount of hot mixture into very cold, but not icy water. Dip your fingers into water and form mixtureinto a ball. Remove ball from water; it should immediately flatten andrun between your fingers.)Step 3:Stir in peanuts. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, to 300° on candy thermometer, hard-crack stage (10 to 15 minutes). (Using aspoon, drop a small amount of hot mixture into very cold, but not icy,water. It should separate into hard, brittle threads that snapeasily.) Watch carefully so mixture does not burn. Step 4:Remove the pan from heat; remove the thermometer from the saucepan.Immediately stir vanilla and baking soda into hot mixture, stirringconstantly until light and foamy. Quickly pour and spread mixture on to prepared baking sheet.Step 5:With 2 forks, lift and pull candy into 14 x 12-inch rectangle. Pullgently to avoid tearing. Cool completely on wire rack. Break candyinto pieces. To store, cover tightly.