I've only made stove-top brittle, never microwave, and I don't bother with a thermometer. There are three ingredients, and the proportions are simple: 1 cup of sugar, one tablespoon of water, and 1 cup of salted peanuts. For simplicity's sake I usually double the recipe. While the sugar & water are heating in a pot over a medium-low heat, I warm a buttered sheet pan in the oven and warm the peanuts in a microwave (maybe a couple of minutes on high). I don't go far, because the sugar must be watched carefully and stirred from time to time with a wooden utensil. When the sugar is almost completely melted, I pull out the pan and retrieve the peanuts. Just as the sugar is completely melted, I remove the pot from the heat, stir in the peanuts thoroughly, pour the mixture onto the warm buttered sheet pan, and spread it out as best I can. I like a thin brittle so I try to keep the peanuts in a single layer, but there's no harm done if it's thicker -- it just makes it more like a Planters Peanut Bar. Having the peanuts and pan warm make both mixing and spreading easier.

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