Old Recipes

I have two old recipes that I would like to share. The first is my grandma's peanut brittle. I don't know exactly how old it is, but her mother used to make it. After my great grandfather died, my great-grandmother ran a boarding house out of her home. She used to serve this peanut brittle to those who stayed there. What is really neat to me is, my grandmother went many years ago back to where she had lived in the boarding house and it had all fallen down and was basically nothing more than debris, but she found something. She found a toothbrush and hair pins. Not like we use though. This toothbrush was some kind of stick that had the end frayed so it could scrub the teeth. She remembered them well, as it was the only kind her mother had used. My mom now has a little baggy with HER grandmothers hairpins and toothbrushes!!

Great Grandmas Peanut Brittle


2 Cups Raw peanuts (Spanish style)
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup light Karo syrup
1/4 Cup water
1 Tbls Baking Soda

Mix the peanuts, sugar, syrup, and water in a pot. Start on high and bring to a boil, then turn it to low and barely simmer. Stir every once in awhile , but more often as the time goes by. After 30-40 min it should be very thick, check for doneness by running one peanut under cold water. The candy should be very hard and brittle, the peanut should taste done and be browned. When it it done, very quickly remove it from the stove , stir in the baking soda and pour and spread it on a piece of greased foil as thin as possible.
*Note* we never used a candy thermometer, and while my grandmother could spread it really thin, my always comes out thicker. still good though, it does not take like the stuff you buy in the box, it is much better i think!!!

The other recipe is from Jons Great Aunt Faye. It is Peanut Butter Fudge, and the best I have ever had. Jon's sister, Diona, used to make this every Christmas for the family meal, and I eventually snagged the recipe. I don't make it very often, and it only makes an 8x8 dish, but it is VERY rich. I also have learned that I cannot double it. I do not know why, it just never works for me, we end up eating it with a spoon, or scraping it with a knife!!

Great Aunt Faye's Peanut Butter Fudge
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup Milk
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 cup Peanut Butter
dash of Salt

On med. heat, bring milk, sugar and butter to a gently rolling boil. Continue until it is soft ball stage, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in Peanut Butter, vanilla and salt. Pour into a buttered 8x8 dish.Cool then cut.