Make peanut brittle for an easy midday snack or a crunchy add-on for ice cream and cakes. We patterned ours after Baguio’s Good Shepherd peanut brittle, which makes use of crushed peanuts. This creates a smooth, thin brittle with a nutty terrazzo pattern. You can make a brittle out of other nuts like cashews and almonds, or seeds like pumpkin and sesame. (Or a mix of both!) If you want to keep it nut-free, pretzels will work wonderfully.
Prep: Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or with baking paper. Prepare all your ingredients—this recipe comes together quickly and you want to work fast.
Add sugar, water, and corn syrup to a cold pot. Cook sugar mixture undisturbed over medium heat and bring to a boil. No stirring!
Add peanuts: Once mixture reaches a light caramel color, or 310– 320°F in temperature, remove from heat. Quickly stir in peanuts, butter, and baking soda with a rubber spatula until butter is melted and peanuts are fully coated.
Pour on sheet: Pour peanut mixture over the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out quickly across the tray with a rubber spatula, two forks, or the back of a spoon before the brittle starts to harden. Alternatively, cover the brittle with a sheet of baking paper and roll out flat with a baking pin. Set aside and let cool completely.
Serve: Crack brittle to desired size. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.