PEANUT CLUSTERS

Ingredients:

16 oz. dry roasted peanuts, lightly salted
12 oz. Bark Coating, chocolate flavored (I really like the Kroger brand)
2 sheets of 14 inch long wax paper
Makes forty clusters

Directions

You will need a double boiler or a thick bottomed pot that distributes heat well. The object is to spread out the heat so you don't scorch the chocolate bark.

Measure out 16 ounces of peanuts in a container, and have them standing by. Place the two pieces of wax paper on a section of the counter for later. Get out the 12 ounces of chocolate bark. You find this stuff in the baking section of the grocery store. The package may have some claim like, "Perfect for Candy Making!"

Turn your stove (gas or electric) on the lowest setting you can manage.

Add the 12 ounces of bark to the bottom of the pan and stir constantly with a spatula. You want it to melt slowly.

Once the bark is all melted, add 1/3 of the peanuts and stir them in. Be sure all are coated thoroughly. Add another 1/3 and stir them in. Add the last 1/3 and stir the whole mix until all the peanuts are covered in chocolate. Immediately remove from the heat.

Place the pot on a pot holder or trivet next to the wax paper. Using a teaspoon, spoon out a teaspoon's worth of the mix and drop it on the wax paper. It will spread out some, so don't get the globs too close together.

Within ten minutes of setting out all the mix, the clusters should be cool enough to hold together and pop off the wax paper. It is even easier if you can wait an extra 10 minutes or so before packing them up. If you put more than one layer in the container, separate the layers with a small piece of wax paper.

I have tried several kinds of Bark Coating, and I really like the Kroger brand. This is a quick and impressive candy.

Editor's Note: Easy

HAYSTACKS

Ingredients:

2 (6 ounce) packages butterscotch morsels
1 (5 or 6 ounce) can chow mein noodles (or package)
1/2 cup salted peanuts

Yield: 2 dozen

Variation: Add 3 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter and/or use a 4 ounce can of shoestring potatoes instead of chow mein noodles.

Method:

Melt butterscotch morsels in a saucepan over medium to low heat.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter if adding peanut butter. Add chow mein noodles and salted peanuts; coat well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let set until cool, 30 to 60 minutes.

Store in a tightly covered container.

SUGARED PEANUTS

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups raw shelled peanuts (with skin on)

Yield: 2 cups

Alternate:

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
4 cups shelled raw peanuts (with skin on)

Yield: 4 cups

Method:

Dissolve sugar in water in iron skillet or saucepan over medium heat.

Add peanuts and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until peanuts are completely sugared (coated and no syrup left). OR Add peanuts and bring to a boil about 20 minutes over medium heat. Stir constantly the last few minutes until liquid crystallizes on peanuts.

Pour onto ungreased large cookie sheet, spreading so that peanuts are separated as much as possible.

Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or 325 degrees for approximately 15 minutes, stirring at 5 minute intervals.

Note: Peanuts without husks (skin) will not coat with sugar.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups shelled peanuts
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Alternate

Yield: Approximately 60 pieces

3 1/2 cups raw peanuts
2 cups sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1/4 cup water
Dash salt
2 teaspoons soda

Method:

Put sugar, syrup, water and salt into a cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan.

Bring to a boil and add peanuts. Cook until peanuts are light brown and syrup mixture begins turning a golden brown, stirring often. Remove from heat and quickly stir in soda.

Immediately pour onto buttered baking sheet or jelly-roll pan, pulling or spreading as thinly as possible. Cool completely. Break into pieces and store in tightly-covered container.

Editor's Note: The best you will ever taste!

BOILED PEANUTS

• Peanuts are pulled from the ground when they are still green, shaken and picked from the plants.
• They are washed thoroughly and placed into a heavy pot of salted water and cooked for several hours, until tender.
• They are drained, rinsed and either eaten or refrigerated to be eaten later.