Peanut Patties - From the Recipe Box of Mom Smith

This is one of my Mother-in-Law's recipes. We have a story that goes with this recipe. Be sure to use red food coloring. One year, thinking to do something different for Christmas, she made two different batches - one red and one green. No one touched the green batch although the only difference was the food coloring.

Mom Smith's Peanut Patties

3 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup white syrup

Combine in saucepan and bring to boil over medium flame.

Add:

1 lb (3 1/4 cups) raw Spanish Peanuts

6 drops red food coloring

Cook until small amount forms a hard ball in small amount of water (250 degrees on candy thermometer)

Remove from burner.

Add:

1/4 cup margarine

pinch salt

Beat with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to thicken and begins to pull away from the pan. As my mother-in-law puts it, "Stir until your arm falls off."

Pour quickly onto greased baking sheet or metal pie pans or you will have one massive peanut patty.

Cool.

Cut or break candy into pieces. If you make this send me a picture.