Christmas (for me) means a lot of family, a lot of gifts and a lot of Peanut Brittle. It is a holiday treat that’s good to eat and its origins which can be traced back to late 1800s. One story of its creation explains how a Southern woman, in the attempt to make taffy added baking soda instead of cream of tartar. Not wanting to waste any ingredients, she continued to cook the mixture until it became a crunchy brittle and not a chewy taffy.

Another more mythic tale describes how a character from Southern folklore known as Tony Beaver who is often referred to as the cousin of Paul Bunyan was the creator of this particular holiday treat. As history goes, Beaver saved a town from flooding by pouring peanuts and molasses into the river. In the end, the town was saved and the people had a delicious treat to commemorate the occasion.

Is the myth of a woman from the South true, or just a Southern tale? Was Tony Beaver, cousin to Paul Bunyan, able to turn a river into brittle? No one knows for sure, but one thing is for certain: Peanut Brittle is likely of American decent. The popularity of peanut farms in warm Southern climates point to a certainty that our ancestors in the South probably were stuffing their faces with lots peanut brittle too.

For as far back as I can remember from my childhood, peanut brittle has been the most delicious memory of the Holidays I can think of. The sweet and salty brittle well make your mouth water with every bite and crunch. It’s a comfort food for someone with a sweet tooth, and a treat which will always remind of my Dad around Christmas. Starting a couple weeks before the big holiday, my Dad spends 20+ hours baking peanut brittle for friends, family and neighbors. It's definitely an addicting candy that brings people together for the holidays.

Here is what you’ll need:

2 cups of sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup margarine or butter

2 1/2 cups raw peanuts or nuts

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, sifted

You’ll want to butter two large baking sheets and set them aside for later. Butter sides of a heavy 3-quart saucepan. In the saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, margarine and 1/2 cup of water. Cook and stir over medium-high heat to boiling. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat to 275 degrees, soft-crack stage (about 30 minutes). Add nuts; cook and stir to 295 degrees, hard-crack stage (15-20 minutes more). Remove saucepan from heat; remove thermometer. Quickly sprinkle soda over mixture, stirring constantly. Immediately pour onto prepared baking sheets. Cool and then break into pieces. Store tightly covered.

A recipe like this makes around 2 1/4 pounds or 72 servings. It is a treat which is perfect for having large parties and tables full of food. I guarantee that you’ll want to make extras as this delicious brittle will be gone before you know it.

Let us all keep this holiday classic alive by enjoying it for ourselves this year. Good luck and don't burn the house down!