Randy Newman

Proximity to giant Peanut-Brittle induces latent lazy-eye.This article will have nothing to do with Randy Newman.  Why?  Because I just won tickets to a show called "Randy Newman: Harps and Angels," and after getting excited about it, found out Randy Newman won't actually be in it.

So, this article will be about some brownies I made -- with peanut brittle -- while I was at home not going to the not Randy Newman show.

The recipe for peanut brittle is a little Rich Diculous.  It involves mixing in 1 1/2 cups of raw peanuts when your syrup goo is at 264 degrees, and stirring until it reaches 310 degrees.  The candy thermometer I used for this had a plastic top, which was very useful in the "melt off of itself and fall into my candy" department, but not so useful in the "be a practical kitchen tool" arena.

Dear Candy Thermometer Manufacturing People,

If the kitchen utensil you have designed is being brought into existence solely to be inserted into substances exceeding 200 degrees Fahrenheit (approaching the famed flash-point of paper), perhaps you should avoid utilizing CHEAP PLASTIC (or was it hardened bubble gum?) on said device.

Moving on, my brittle is cooling, and I am making scratch brownies with the intention of putting the brittle on top when I bake 'em.  I may develop Type II diabetes, but this can only serve to bring me closer to my fellow Americans -- an estimated 1/3 of which should be living with diabetes in the next few decades.

OK, brownies done, brittle broken and added as top crust, shoved back in the oven.  Next time I do this, I'm going to fold the brittle mixture into the brownies before it's brittle, when it's pre-brittle, peanut-flex I guess, and see what happens.  As a topper, this is what happened (pictured at left). 

On a side note, I can't find it anywhere, but there's this great shirt you can get somewhere that says "I went to the (insert name of your state here) State Fair and all I got was this lousy Type II diabetes."