Grandma Shore’s Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar

1 cup light Karo syrup

½ cup water

Combine sugar, syrup and water in heavy saucepan.  Cook to 240 degrees.  (If using pecans, cook to ~ 265F)

2 cups raw peanuts

Add nuts and cook to 300 to 310 degrees. While cooking, stir periodically to keep mixture from scorching. 

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

Add butter, salt and soda and stir quickly to mix.  Mixture will foam. 

While still foaming, pour onto pan or board that has been covered with buttered aluminum foil.  (Works best if you pour candy as thin as possible onto a large area)   Allow to cool very slightly.  While warm and pliable, stretch it.  The secret is to stretch the candy THIN.

Kathleen’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Kathleen’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

2-3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups butter (or margarine)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). 

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just blended. Roll the dough into balls about 1-1/4” diameter. Roll the balls in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Place cookies on greased baking sheets and flatten slightly with a glass that has been dipped in granulated sugar.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely.

**If you want to have cookies for later, or to give away, hide some, or bake them when no one is home. I usually can’t bake them fast enough to accumulate any cookies – the kids eat them as fast as they come out of the oven!