Peanut Patties

This recipe is from one of our favorite cookbooks, "Texas Home Cooking", by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

3 cups sugar
3 cups raw peanuts
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few drops of red food coloring

Lay a large piece of waxed paper on a dishtowel on a counter.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, peanuts, corn syrup and water. Stirring constantly over medium heat, cook the mixture to the high end of the soft ball stage, 234°F.

Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the remaining ingredients, adding enough food coloring to get a vibrant red shade. Stir the mixture frequently for approximately 20 minutes, or until it cools to about 125°F. The mixture will become very thick and creamy opaque, and the peanuts will be suspended.

Immediately spoon out the mixture in patties, the larger the better. Let the patties sit for at least 1 hour before eating them. Their texture should be chewy like nougat rather than creamy like praline. Wrap them individually for storage. They'll keep a week.