Peanut Brittle

For the last 15 years our family has enjoyed the tradition of making homemade peanut brittle. The recipe has traveled over many years through numerous generations of Schrolls. Each batch is systematically measured out (in pounds, not cups) and carefully cooked on the stovetop (not over the fire) to precise temperatures. Within an hour the mixture of nuts, sugar, and corn syrup is poured onto marble slabs and slowly stretched to a thin candy. A delicious sight!

This year all the kids enjoyed being involved in various stages of the process, from greasing the slabs and utensils to the tedious, continual stirring. As the kids grow, so do their responsibilities. My little man reveled in the fact that he was now big enough to stir and measure. That is a promotion from dishwasher.

My big girls worked together to measure and each shared time stirring. My sweetie joked that it won't be too long before they do the entire job themselves. Grandpa joined in the fun, but let the rest of us take over the duties.

My little one was still too young to participate fully, but she managed to get her time in. Ultimately, she is much better at chilling on days like this.

When all was said and done, we packed up more than 40 pounds of candy. Thankfully, not all of that is consumed by our family. We have enough problems with cavities, thank you. We gift quite a bit of it.

Traditions are special things to enjoy. I look forward to continuing this one for many years to come.