Christmas candy

One of my Christmas childhood memories is of Christmas candy. My mom would always make peanut brittle, cream caramels, chocolate dipped peanut butter balls, and chocolate dipped coconut balls, not to mention a HUGE array of Christmas cookies. I honestly don't know how she did all of it, but that's not what I'm posting about today. I tried to carry on the tradition and make caramels a few years ago. It tasted okay if you could peel it off the wax paper before it ran through your fingers. And the peanut brittle, well, let's just say my kitchen cupboard boasts one less pot and candy thermometer than at the onset of the candy-making fiasco. Well, this year I found a peanut brittle I can make! It is fast and easy and requires no candy thermometer and I wanted to share the recipe with you! So here you go. You're welcome!

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 cup raw peanuts (purchased in bulk at Winco, thank you Jane)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch of salt
Combine these ingredients in a microwave safe casserole dish (I actually used my pyrex 8 cup measuring cup with a glass plate over it) that has a lid. Stir until all the sugar is kind of wet from the syrup. Microwave on high 4 minutes. Remove from microwave (and lest I should get sued by someone who doesn't understand the nature of cooking, it will be HOT) and stir. Put it back in on high for 4 more minutes. Remove it from the microwave, stir in:
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of butter
Return to microwave. Cook on high 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir in:
1 teaspoon of baking soda until it's all foamy.
Pour the mixture quickly onto a cookie sheet and spread it. Let it set. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

If you warm your cookie sheet up at 200 degrees for a bit, it works better because the candy can spread out a little bit before it sets up super thick.

That's it! Happy candy-making!