Now I know that you all are getting ready for your festivities this Christmas, and I, as a lapsed Jew, am getting ready for my festivities– gathering with my people at the movie theater (any suggestions?) followed by some Chinese food. But I have to leave you with just one more recipe before the year is through. It’s a good one. And those of you who are feeling especially ambitious this holiday season, might even mix up a batch to eat Christmas Eve.

Popcorn-Peanut Brittle– the name is a lesson in onomatopoeic alliteration. My mom was telling me about her newest travails in candy making with this recipe. Although she burned the sugar syrup the first time around, the second time worked like a crispy, sugary dream. I am always up for a project, so while heeding her warnings, I dove right in to the caramel making, hard-ball heating process with gusto. The combination of popcorn (light and airy) and peanuts (salty and substantial) was too much to resist.

There is something so exciting about cooking sugar. Something so sweet, and seemingly innocent, turns into a molten, singe-the-skin-right-off-your-hands, dangerously sticky concoction when boiled and cooked to the right temperature. It is in the danger that the interest dwells.

This recipe, though sticky, and potentially harmful, is relatively easy to make. Although, I must admit, I got my husband to help me out by pouring the syrup while I furiously tossed the popcorn and nuts. (My husband can be rented out for a nominal fee–very nominal!–if you choose to make this recipe for yourself at home.) And the taste… is super. Do you remember Fiddle Faddle? That crunchy, popcorn snack that you could just eat and eat, (that’s what I did anyway)? This brittle is like that, only ten times better. Saltier, sweeter, buttery-er. And if this is your first venture into the world of candy making, like it was mine, it will only want to make you have more hot sugary experiences.

Have a wonderful holiday season, with or without a batch of Popcorn-Peanut Brittle!

Popcorn-Peanut Brittle
from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

This is the recipe as stated, however, I didn’t have salted peanuts so I added a bit more salt than listed, and gave an extra sprinkling of Kosher salt to the brittle when drying. This gave the candy more of the salty-sweet flavor that I love.

2 1/2 quarts popped corn (approximately 3/4 cup of kernels)
1 lbs. (2 1/4 cups) light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Pop the corn, place in a large roasting pan in the oven to remain crisp and warm. Make syrup.

In a dutch oven, over medium heat, place sugar, corn syrup, water, butter, and salt, and melt, stirring occasionally. Continue stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 290 degrees, the hard-ball stage. This can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. The syrup will bubble up on contact, keep stirring.

In a large buttered pot, place the popcorn and peanuts. Slowly pour the syrup on top, mixing with a wooden spoon until the popcorn and nuts are well-coated. Work quickly, as the syrup will harden, and mixing will become more difficult.

Spread the mixture onto two lightly buttered, jelly roll pans. Butter your hands as the syrup will still be hot, and could burn your hands, and separate popcorn clusters into bite-sized pieces. Brittle should continue to harden, and become more chewy as the mixture cools.