My mom, Helen McKinney, is famous for her homemade peanut brittle!
Mom is 85 April 21, 2015. We are hosting an afternoon tea party on April 19 to celebrate this milestone that so few reach in life, and she is treating her guests with her famous homemade peanut brittle!
Mom held a huge celebratory party for her own mother, and my grandmother, Maude, in 1984, when she turned 85. Mom baked 15 homemade angel food cakes, made hundreds of fancy tea sandwiches and so much more. Grandma Maude was in her glory; the celebration was unforgettable. Fast forward 31 years to mom’s 85th: she baked 11 angel food cakes and just finished 5 batches of homemade peanut brittle! “Mom, I bet you never imagined you’d be making your own birthday cakes for your own 85th celebration?” Oh, how we laughed! I still recall her looking at me at the end of Grandma Maude’s party with “that eye” she has. “Now you know what I expect when I turn 85!”
And so it is. Hahaha! With one hilarious exception: she is doing it herself. My mom is unstoppable!
During a visit to Ruth Harrison, Grandma Maude’s sister-in-law, in her North Dakota farming community in the late 1960’s, Grandma Maude was served homemade peanut brittle and was smitten. At that time, the raw peanuts were encased in the bright brick red peanut paper-like covering. Home witmh the recipe, she and mom followed it to a “T” then eventually made it with the raw white peanut. This has been our traditional family recipe for the past 50 years (almost).
Mom never makes one batch. Born and raised on a central Alberta farm, she has “cooking for the trashers” ingrained in everything she does in the kitchen, even now. She and dad used to make up to 20 batches at one time, before Christmas, in the 70’s and 80’s. They could just not keep up with the demand. Once it was gifted to anyone, that person would beg for it the following year. So, if anyone “new” was shown appreciation with such a parcel, that person would also be looking for more the following year. Mom lines up 5 containers of pre-measured sugar, 5 containers of pre-measured peanuts, 5 little papers with pre-measured salt and baking soda and adds the 5 pre-measured pats of butter on each.
She actually owns a 2/3 measuring cup, and has it and her 1/2 cup out for the corn syrup and water; pre-filling each as she prepares each batch.
I arrived to record this process after she had made the first three batches. Ingredients for the last two line her kitchen counter wall.
Heavy pot a must. Good thermometer a must (with large numbers for we blind elderly gals). Into the pot goes the sugar, corn syrup and water.
It doesn’t take long to reach 230ºF; at that point, raw peanuts are added and the mixture is stirred rigorously and constantly until the final temperature of 300ºF is reached.
The pot is then taken off the heat….
…butter, salt and baking powder are stirred in very well to combine, and…
… all ingredients are poured onto a well buttered teflon coated cookie sheet. The pot is heavy and it is not easy to hold with one hand while using the other to scrape all ingredients out with a spatula. It cools very quickly, so must be done fast. It is great to have a second set of hands at this time. Of course, I wasn’t thinking or helping. Just taking photos!
Gloves go on at this point. Mom picks up the pan and gives it a good shake to distribute and thin out the brittle, then upside down it goes onto the prepared counter top, to the thermo-mat. First, she did loosen the edges and corners of the brittle on the cookie sheet to ensure it would flop out.
Quickly, the “skin removing” hot brittle must be thinned with the gloves on before it is no longer pliable.
Confidence is a good part of this process. I would be freaking out to see the holes and the pulls in the candy, but there is no problem with this. It is necessary and adds to the varied appearance and homemade quality of this delicious concoction.
What focus! What determination!
What humor! (But, it is so hot!)
My baby sister, Penny, watches on.
Reminding me of the time I was here with mom making her angel food cakes, I turned to take a photo of her living room where Penny watches, and there was the chair that dad was grinning in at that time. You can see him when I wrote about mom’s angel food cakes. Immediately, I was overcome with sadness. I miss my dad. Oh, how he loved mom’s peanut brittle.
When doing several batches, mom moves the brittle from the thermo-mat on the counter to another couple of cookie sheets or containers, as above, to cool to room temperature so she can prepare the mat and the teflon cookie sheet for the next up-coming batch.
She then breaks the brittle into chunks for serving and storing.
Five batches made the amount above. Mom made it look super easy. Everything was spotless at all times.
Interestingly, only mom and dad love this famous family sweet. I appreciate it, but it is not my thing. My gals and my husband could take it or leave it. It was the same with my sister. Yet, each of us recognizes that it is the best peanut brittle any of us have ever eaten; peanut brittle is just not “our thing”. Odd, no? Such a labour of love lost on those most beloved.
Yet, this recipe, preserving it, and learning how to make it is important to me. It is an important part of our family culinary tapestry and the tradition must be captured and preserved. So, I can see I will be giving this a go myself, next year! If you try it, chime in.
Helen's Famous Homemade Peanut Brittle made with raw peanuts
Mom has been making this recipe for 40 years. She calls it "Raw Peanut Peanut Brittle". She is 85 and makes it several times a year, and never less than 5 batches at a time. She and dad used to make it together and would take a day and make 20 batches. Obviously, she gives it away, and over the years, it has become the most coveted gift by all in our area.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2/3 cup white corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups raw peanuts
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
Important Materials:
- protective gloves
- candy thermometer
- working mat for hot peanut brittle
Instructions
- Grease large teflon coated cookie sheet with butter; prepare counter top by greasing with butter or lay out a rubberized mat for candy making
- Combine first three ingredients in a heavy pot; bring to a boil at 230F
- Add raw peanuts; stir rigorously and constantly until thermometer reads 300F
- Remove from heat; add soda, salt and butter
- Stir well to combine; pour onto prepared cookie sheet and shake to spread mixture over surface of cookie sheet
- After about 30 seconds, loosen edges of brittle in cookie sheet with well greased spatula
- Turn cookie sheet upside down on prepared counter top of working mat; put on gloves
- The peanut brittle will release from the pan and fall onto the counter; with hands in gloves, push down on hot brittle to thin it and spread it out as much as possible while pliable (about 30 more seconds)
- Start next batch if making more than one (and you will be, after making one); then break somewhat pliable brittle into large pieces and move onto other cookie sheets to prepare the counter or candy mat and the large teflon cookie sheet for the next batch
- If not making another batch, simply wait about 15 minutes, break the brittle into individual pieces and store in an air tight container (We use ice cream buckets)
- Enjoy!
Notes
Don't use anything but raw peanuts in this recipe. They can be purchased at Bulk Barn if there is one in your area.
Mom's Preparation Procedure for Batches
If making 5 batches have:
5 containers filled with the measured sugar
5 containers filled with the measured peanuts
5 small containers filled with baking powder and salt
5 small containers with measured butter
have the water and corn syrup out to measure separately for each batch
Special Note: Mom pours the measured corn syrup into the heavy pot with the sugar, and then measures the hot water. She then pours the hot water into the measuring cup the corn syrup just came out of to get it all and to clean out the cup. That pre- measured hot water then goes into the heavy pot with the corn syrup and sugar.
Mom will tell you, this is “the only recipe” worth making if you love peanut brittle.
Val I am so glad you took pictures and posted this recipe, otherwise this old family recipe would be lost.. WELL DONE 🙂 🙂
Hahaha, mom!!!
Well done YOU!
XOXOOXOX
Lovely tribute to your Mom. And wonderful peanut brittle. Too bad people would rather buy packaged food rather than good home cooking.
Sarah
So lovely to hear from you and “ain’t that the truth!” Heading to the Slow Food in Canada conference in Montreal next week. It would be so wonderful if you could come. For some reason, I am no longer getting notifications of your posts in my mailbox. I am going to check on that right now.
Hugs,
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
What a great post. The heavy pot your mom uses looks just like the heavy pot that my mom would use for peanut brittle and sponge toffee. Hers was the base of a pressure cooker, and I wager your mom’s is too. I thought my mom’s peanut brittle was the best also, so we can agree to differ (plus the recipe was probably identical). I make peanut brittle now (using the microwave) but more often make almond brittle. The brittle can be tweaked by adding a spoonful of chipotle powder, if the regular peanut brittle isn’t cutting it for you.
Best,
Catherine
Lovely Mom. I always enjoy seeing her in your blogs. She looks especially nice in blue. Her hand-written recipe on an old index card brought back memories of my mother. I treasure my mom’s old tattered book filled with recipes written on index cards, scraps of paper and envelope backs. Some are “clipped” from magazines with dates going back to the 1930’s. I so enjoy your blog and offer thanks for adding sunshine to my day.
Best regards,
Susan McKenna
Lake Mary, Florida
Dear Susan,
And you have added sunshine in my day – and my mom’s! She will be thrilled to read your comment. HUGS to you for that! I do so cherish these hand written recipes, too. I had mom write all of her tried and true and our traditional family recipes on index cards for each of my gals for when they married and I did the same with my favourites. I found a beautiful keepsake recipe binder, bought the photo inserts and the cards fit into it perfectly. This is the best gift I have ever given. Of course, they are not stained and dog-eared, but they are hand written with love.
XOOXOX
Valerie
Valerie, my recipe is exactly the same as your moms, wonder who started the chain as mine came from my grandmother. It would be fascinating to follow the path the way we trace our ancestors. My grandmother and most of her sisters were part of a recipe club that sent favourite recipes all over the continent. I’d receive a letter in the mail with a recipe and five names and addresses. I would send my own letters to everyone on the list , dropping the top name, adding mine to the bottom of the list and attaching a favourite recipe of my own. Soon my mailbox would be full of letters and I would continue the chain with a different recipe and five more people who weren’t on the list. If people ran out of family and friends they would just copy names from old letters so we were always getting new recipes. What fun that was and it would still be fun. Hugs, Brendi
HI Brendi
I remember those chain letters. They still exist, believe it or not, via email! Grrr. I find them like junk mail these days, with the internuet at our finger tips.
Thrilled to hear you have the same recipe and I guess this would explain how, too – as this one came from so far away, and then we changed it ourselves to the white raw peanut from the red skinned ones.
No one makes their own, anymore… but everyone sure appreciates getting a gift of a homemade batch. Nothing one can buy, even from the best confectioner, comes close.
🙂
Valerie
Oh what fun you two girls have.
I would give anyting to do this with my mom Valerie..
Two prett ypretty girls w/ great smiles..
I love having someone I can take photos of..your mom is the ideal model for you!!
And she loves the camera! I can tell because it loves her.
Thank you for sharing this heirloom recipe..
Monique,
We used to look so much more alike – before I gained my weight and she went that wise and wonderful “white”! celebrated her big event yesterday, and “Oh, what a time it was, it really was!” She deserved every minute of the glory and I know it was truly a huge amount of fun for her.
She is absolutely remarkable.
Hugs, Monique,
Valerie
Lovely recipe Valerie ! Certain foods evoke a time, place, a person … This is a family recipe enjoyed by all !
Family members as well as friends are lucky to see your Mum prepare this treat !
Hugs, Aileen in Nova Scotia xoxo
Aileen!
So wonderful to hear from you! It has been a blustery cold Spring out East, no? So worried about the Maple Syrup Farms and the wineries out there. Lovely to hear from you.
HUGS
Valerie
I love your site, and seeing your happy mom in the shots and of course the recipe looks so delicious! I may just have to try it. I know the value of having “mom’s touch” in our recipes. I have a hand written book from my own mom that I’ve started translating to our blog (in addition to our own stuff). Her recipes have no quantities so it’s hard sometimes, but I grew up with these meals so I eventually figure it out. Thanks for sharing… your pictures are heart warming.
Dear Nelson,
Thank YOU so much for taking the time to chime in and make my day – and I am sure, my mother’s day!
Love getting her recipes on this site and if you do try them, let us know.
🙂
Valerie
Hi from Australia! I made this peanut brittle for our Christmas day and it was a hit. Everyone loved it so I made another batch. So quick and easy. I could not find corn syrup so I used glucose syrup and I used salted peanuts so omitted the salt in the recipe. I did not have a thermometer so just went off sight by using the pictures you posted. Thanks so much for the great recipe and photos. Happy Holidays!
Wonderful to hear that you loved the recipe and it worked for you, Mary! I would suggest you try to find raw peanuts. They make ALL the difference. If you like the recipe using the roasted salted peanuts, you are going to die and go to heaven immediately once you taste it made with the raw peanuts!
Happy New Year!
Valerie
Raw peanuts definitely tastier! My husband said he didn’t think it would make a difference but he is now raving about it with the raw peanuts. Thank you.
So glad you tried it Mary. It makes all of the difference!
Happy 2016!
🙂
Valerie
just tried this recipe ,wonderful crisp and deliciously buttery, thankyou so much for this heirloom recipe
Mom will be thrilled to hear you enjoyed it, Jean!
Hugs,
Valerie