Matthew Woolen is a master pastry chef and has worked in a variety of Seattle restaurants, including gastropub Old Sage, Zhu Dang, and a gluten-free restaurant called Capitol Cider.

Matthew Woolen

What’s better than peanut brittle? The ultimate peanut brittle made with peanut butter and pumped full of air. It’s extra peanut-y with a crisp crunch that won’t crack your teeth. We put the ChefSteps spin on this hard sugar candy, using several of our favorite secret weapons to take this confection to new heights. Baking soda enhances the Maillard reaction for a caramel-y color and flavor, and its chemical reaction lifts and enhances the texture. Using peanut butter instead of regular butter amps up that peanut-y flavor. And, for the pièce de résistance, we use a chamber vacuum sealer to introduce air into the brittle, yielding big air bubbles and a light, crisp texture that won’t cause an emergency trip to the dentist. If you don’t have a chamber vacuum sealer, have no fear. We’ve included a few different methods below to help you get the most out of your peanut brittle, plus some pro tips for making a delicious Nutella version.

Aerated Peanut Butter Brittle