Peanut Patties

  Holy blast from the past, Batman! I loved these things growing up, and my mom loved them when she was growing up too. We used to be able to find them at the grocery store in packs of ten. Then you could only find them in gas stations, one at a time. Then, for the last few years, nothing. Imagine my delight when I stumbled across the recipe on Pinterest!

  They're very easy to put together, and pretty cheap too. They're PURE sugar, so, they aren't the healthiest things for you, but they will kick your sweet tooth right in the sweet teeth.

  Why are some of them heart-shaped, you ask? Why are some of them rougher around the edges, like they took a ride in a washing machine, you ask? For one, you're very observant. Two, stop asking so many questions. Here's the deal: in the original recipe, posted at Just a Pinch, they have you pour the mixture out in little pancakes onto wax paper. You can do that, but the patties I used to get when I was a kid were thicker- like a third of an inch or more. So, I decided I would pour the mix into a muffin pan. Surely it wouldn't stick to the metal, right? Wrong.
  The mix, even when it sets up, is too sticky for a muffin pan. You need to either do the wax paper thing, or do what I did with the remaining part of my mix and pour it into a silicone cupcake sheet. The only one I had was little heart shapes. Adorable, right? Manly, right? No? Anyway, the silicone worked like a charm. The patties set and popped out as easy as you please. Lesson learned. I had to cut the other ones out with a knife, so they got a bit crumbly. They still taste good, though, so it's not a total loss.
Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 1/2 c sugar
2/3 c light karo
1 c milk
2 1/2 c raw peanuts (16 oz. bag)
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 c powdered sugar
4 OR 5 drops red food coloring (I used quite a bit more for my red color)

Directions

1. Place the first four items in a heavy saucepan. Stir to combine.
2. Bring to a boil and continue cooking on a low boil, uncovered, for approx one hour until soft ball stage (235-240*), stirring occasionally.
3. While cooking, prepare a spot on your counter top with waxed paper to drop candy on.
4. At soft ball stage, remove from heat and add margarine/butter stirring until melted.
5. Add powdered sugar, sifting if needed, and red coloring. (I use extra for more color)
6. Stir to combine well. Keep stirring until it just starts to thicken.
7. Quickly drop by spoonfulls onto waxed paper. The nuts should be flat, not in a pile. If candy starts to get too thick, just place pan back on heat to warm slightly.
8. Depending on your preference, they can be any size you like. I prefer to eat several that are 2" across. Bobby likes bigger ones. Your choice will always be right.
9. ENJOY


  Step 9 is always the most important.