This rich tasting peanut brittle includes molasses. It also calls for chopped peanuts since you can get the brittle flatter that way. This recipe is adapted from the 1964 Guide to Modern Meals. It makes about a pound.

For tips on making the perfect brittle, visit All About Brittle Candy: Standards, Tips, and Why Baking Soda Is Used.

Peanut Brittle with Molasses

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chopped peanuts

Procedure

1. Put sugar, molasses and water in a heavy saucepan. Heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the syrup without stirring until it reaches the hard crack stage, 300 degrees F.
2. Remove from heat, add in the butter and baking soda, and stir just until combined well. Add in the nuts. Pour out onto a well-greased baking sheet and smooth out with a heat proof spatula. Do not scrape the pan out, otherwise crystals may form.
3. Once it is cool enough to handle, pull to make a thin sheet of candy. Cool completely, then break into pieces and serve.

Notes

Adapted from: Shank, Dorothy E., Natalie K. Fitch, and Pauline A. Chapman. Guide to Modern Meals. St. Louis: McGraw, 1964.

Content by Renee Shelton. This recipe was first published on PastrySampler.com on January 10, 2007. It was updated on October 6, 2020.