Peanut Brittle

This is the older dry-caramel method: sugar melted alone in a heavy pan, with no water, corn syrup or soda. It produces a dense, glassy brittle rather than the light, aerated kind most people expect today.

• The hinge: melt it slowly and evenlyDry sugar scorches in seconds once it colors. Keep the heat moderate, stir constantly as directed, and pull the pan off the burner the moment it reaches an even light amber; carryover heat in cast iron will keep the sugar cooking after you remove it.
• About the stated temperatureGranulated sugar does not liquefy until roughly 320F and does not brown until about 340F, so the "slightly above 300 degrees F." in the original runs low for the color being described. Go by color, and expect a thermometer plunged into melted caramel to read nearer 340-350F.
• A pint of peanutsA pint is 2 cups by volume, about 9 to 10 ounces of chopped roasted peanuts. Use unsalted or lightly salted nuts, since a full teaspoon of added salt is already assertive.
• Warm the pan and the nuts"Warm slightly" matters more than it sounds. Cold nuts and a cold tin chill the caramel on contact and it sets before it spreads. A few minutes in a 200F oven for the buttered tin and the nuts is enough.
• Pan and tinThe original calls for an iron frying-pan; heavy iron holds steady heat, and a heavy stainless skillet works as well, its pale interior making the color easier to judge. For the tin, use a buttered rimmed baking sheet.
• No soda, no stretchingBecause there is no baking soda, this brittle stays hard and translucent, and it will be thicker than commercial brittle. If you want it thinner, press it out at once with a buttered spatula or the back of an oiled spoon while it is still pliable.
• Breaking and storingLet it cool until firm but not stone cold, then score or break into pieces. Keep it in an airtight tin; sugar candy of this kind turns tacky within hours in a humid kitchen.
• YieldAbout a pound and a half of finished candy, enough for a dozen or so servings.