Bake the Book
1042012-bakethebook-pumpkinbrittle.jpg

[Photograph: Steve Legato]

Edible DIY presents this as more of an autumn treat, but there's no reason to confine the flavors of cinnamon, fleur de sel, and a kick of cayenne to one season. Liven up winter's monotony with the sweetly spicy crunch of this brittle.

Reprinted with permission from Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share by Lucy Baker. Copyright © 2012. Published by Running Press. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 ounces toasted pumpkin seeds (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 6 ounces toasted pecans (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons flaky salt, such as fleur de sel

Procedures

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

  2. Combine the sugar, water, butter, and corn syrup in a medium-sized pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a rich amber color and a candy thermometer registers 300°F. Be patient, this can take up to 20 minutes.

  3. When the thermometer hits 300°F, immediately remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cinnamon, cayenne, and baking soda. The mixture will bubble and foam vigorously. Stir in the pumpkin seeds and the pecans. Immediately scrape the brittle onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading it out as much as possible with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the salt over the hot brittle. Using clean fingertips, gently press as many of the salt crystals as you can into the brittle. This helps them to stick once the brittle is firm.

  4. Allow the brittle to cool completely, about 2 hours, then break it into large shards. The brittle will keep for up to 3 weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature.