Peanut Brittle

Prepare the pan: Use your hands to rub about 2 teaspoons softened butter all over the bottom and sides of a half sheet baking pan. (You can put a plastic baggie on your hand, or use a glove, if you don't want greasy hands.)

Prep the peanut butter: In a large glass or plastic measuring cup, add 2 cups of creamy peanut butter. It should be about 18 ounces. Put it in the microwave and heat for 1-2 minutes, until the peanut butter is liquid and thinned out. Set aside for now.

In a 3 quart heavy-bottomed pot, add 1/2 cup water.

Add 2 cups granulated sugar to the center of the pot, avoiding getting sugar on the edges (this helps avoid crystallization.)

Add 1 cup light corn syrup to the pot.

Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. (Use 1/4 teaspoon if all you have is table salt.)

Set the pot on the stove over medium low heat. Stir it all together with a wooden spoon, avoiding getting sugar granules on the sides. Draw the liquid into the center of the pot from the edges. Then stir thoroughly.

Dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture heat up over medium low heat for about 5 minutes, until all the sugar is dissolved. You will know the sugar is dissolved when you dip a finger into the mixture and don't feel any sand-like granules of sugar. The mixture should feel completely smooth. (This is to avoid crystallization)

Bring to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat up to medium. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture reaches a full boil, with bubbles all the way across the surface. Then remove your spoon and put it in the sink.

Cook to 300. Let the mixture boil without stirring until it reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer. This could take anywhere from 4-7 minutes, depending on how powerful your burner is.

Add peanut butter. Once the mixture reaches 300, remove the pot from the heat and add the 2 cups of warmed up peanut butter. Use a clean wooden spoon to stir it all together.

Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and stir.

Quickly add 2 cups dry roasted peanuts and stir it together.

Quickly add 1 tablespoon baking soda to the mixture and stir it together. Move fast!

Pour the mixture onto the buttered pan and use a spatula to spread it out to the edges right away before it starts to harden.

Let cool for 3 hours, or overnight. If you plan to leave it overnight, cover the pan with plastic wrap once the brittle has come to room temperature.

Break up the brittle: I like to use my hands to break the brittle into uneven, roughly triangular pieces, but you can lay the whole slab on a work surface and slice with a chef's knife if you prefer.

Store the brittle covered on the counter. Don't refrigerate, it will just make it sticky instead of brittle.

Freezing instructions: Place the broken brittle pieces in a single layer in a ziplock freezer bag. You can add as many layers as you can fit in the bag, but be sure to add parchment paper in between the layers so the pieces don't stick to each other as they thaw. Peanut brittle will be good for 3-4 months in the freezer. To eat the brittle after freezing, let the bag sit on the counter for 2-3 hours to get to room temperature.