Molasses Walnut Brittle

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Coat the back of a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the butter; set aside. Combine the sugar, the water, molasses, and corn syrup in a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, and cook without stirring until the mixture registers 268°F on a sugar thermometer (about 10 minutes). Brush down the sides of the pan two times with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the salt, and walnuts, and cook the mixture until it registers 300°F on a sugar thermometer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula.

   Step 2

   Remove the saucepan from the heat and with a long-handled wooden spoon rapidly stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Be careful; the mixture will bubble and foam. Immediately turn the mixture onto the buttered baking sheet and spread out thin with the wooden spoon. Let the brittle cool for 5 minutes, then loosen it from the pan with a flexible-blade spatula. Butter your fingertips with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and stretch the brittle as thin as possible. Let it cool completely (about 30 minutes), then break it into pieces with your hands. In a tightly covered container, the brittle will keep for 1 week at room temperature.