September is harvest season for Virginia peanuts. Responsible alone for 15 percent of the nation's peanut supply, the state takes its crop seriously (the small town of Suffolk has hosted an annual Peanut Festival for more than forty years!).
While the nuts make a satisfying and nutritious snack by themselves, this vanilla-infused brittle is a delicious way to commemorate the season.
Ingredients
1 vanilla bean
1/3 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or refined coconut oil
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half as much if iodized)
1 rounded cup dry-roasted or honey-roasted peanuts*
*TLP Tip: Try it with Hubs Honey Kissed Virginia Peanuts
Directions for the Peanut Brittle
1. Split vanilla bean lengthwise with a paring knife and scrape seeds from each half; reserve pod for another project. Combine water, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla seeds in a 3-quart, stainless steel saucier set over medium-low heat and gently stir with a fork until clear syrup is bubbling hard around the edges, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, without stirring, until the syrup is golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, lightly grease an aluminum baking sheet. Measure baking soda and salt into a ramekin.
3. When the candy is ready, turn off heat and stir in baking soda and salt with a heat-resistant spatula. Stir in peanuts, then scrape onto prepared baking sheet and spread into a roughly 12-by-8-inch layer. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
4. Chop or break brittle into 2-inch pieces. In an airtight container, peanut brittle will keep for about a month at room temperature, or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Recipe adapted from BraveTart by Stella Parks, Norton 2017
