Too Many Chefs Ruin the Peanut Brittle
(from the other clippings in the cook book, I'd say this is from the late 1950's or early 60's! It made me smile. Hope you enjoy!
Too Many Chefs Ruin the Peanut Brittle
By Elizabeth Bull
"Nothing to it," say the experts. "Making peanut brittle is the easiest thing in the world to do."
Oh, yeah? The first batch I made this year was like taffy, and the peanuts were still raw. A rat wouldn't be able to chew them. If he tried, his jaws would have become glued together with the taffy.
"You'll have to use a candy thermometer," suggests my daughter.
Well, I bought a new thermometer, got out my recipe and started the stuff to boiling. I waited and waited for the crack stage (300). It looked hopeless. I was sure something was wrong. The candy began to burn around the edges. (I didn't have sense enough to stir it).
When the thermometer finally reached cract stage (300), I didn't have my soda at hand, nor my platter greased! I didn't expect the stuff to keep burning after I turned the fire off, but it did!
When it was finished, the peanuts were cooked all right - to a crisp!
Next day my granddaughter took a look at it, and said, "I have never seen chocolate peanut brittle before."
"It's not chocolate," I informed her," it's just slightly overcooked.
"SLIGHTLY!" she exclaimed "That stuff is for the birds!"
That gave me an idea. I would feed it to the birds.
I put some of it out in the yard, and would you believe, a starling pecked at it once and gave up. I am sure he warned his fellow starlings, for they wouldn't even give it a try.
I decided something must be wrong with my thermometer.
Anyway, I swallowed my pride, and asked my daughter to let me watch her make a batch of peanut brittle. She never fails, the big show-off!
I took all the ingredients over to her, including my thermometer. She had an old broken thermometer, but it would still register.
"I'll use both of them," she said, "to make sure yours is working."
She put in two cups of sugar, one cup of white sugar and half a cup of water. (This is a good recipe, if you want to try it. She kept it covered for 3 minutes, then let it boil (uncovered) until it reached soft ball stage. Then she put in 2 cups of raw peanuts. Everything was going find and she wasn't afraid to stir it.
Suddenly she dropped MY thermometer to the floor! Glass flew in every direction!
"That's where I missed it," I exclaimed. "I didn't do that when I made mine!"
Her old broken-down thermometer was still working, however, and soon reached the crack stage (300). She removed it from the fire and quickly stirred in 1 tsp of soda, a pinch of salt and one tablespoon of butter. Then she poured it on the platter which she had ALREADY greased. I have never seen lovelier peanut brittle.
Next day, I bought another thermometer, and informed my husband that I was going to make some more peanut brittle.
"Please don't, " he begged. "Why don't you just let the daughter do it?"
"Because I'd rather do it myself," I told him, and the tone of his voice was not too sweet.
That night, I couldn't sleep (not that I had candy on my mind). But, since I was awake at 2:00 am, I thought it be a good time to show the old boy what I could do.
I carefully followed the recipe, waited patiently for the crack stage, and stirred occasionally. To my surpise, it turned out beautifully!
I went to bed, and, while I was asleep, my husband had a wakeful spell (as he usually does). He must have been surprised when he found a lovely batch of peanut brittle.
When I got up next morning, he was asleep, but I saw he had left a note on top of the platter of candy. I could hardly wait to read it, but I had to find my glasses first. I was sure he woudld be congratulating me on my success.
I finally found my glasses and here's what I read: "RAH! RAH! RAH-SIS! BOOM! BAH!" I shall always treasure that little bit of literature.
My advice to would-be makers of peanut brittle: It has to be made at 2:00 A.M. when the husband is not standing over you saying, "Honey, please don't do it!"
