SOUTHERN PEANUT CANDY

Ingredients

CANDIES – ADULT FIRST PLACE
Anne Dawsey, Cottonwood

¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon butter
3 cups sugar, divided
1 cup half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound roasted peanuts, chopped

Preparation

Line a 9-x13-inch pan with foil and grease with 1 teaspoon butter.
In a heavy skillet cook 1 cup sugar over medium- low heat until melted. Do not stir.
In large pan combine half-and-half and remaining 2 cups sugar over medium heat. When mixture is hot, add browned sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until candy thermometer reaches 236 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ¼ cup butter and baking soda. Add vanilla. Beat until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. When mixture has cooled to 110 F, stir in peanuts. Pour cooled mixture into prepared pan. After mixture is firm, cut into squares.