Halloween Candy - Brittle
For adults and kids alike, make your own Halloween candy. Peanut and sesame seed brittles are always a treat.
Clockwise, starting at the top, peanut brittle, a black and white sesame seed brittle and lastly, a second batch of peanut brittle in which the syrup has only been cooked to the hard crack stage. The resulting brittle was then drizzled with melted chocolate.
Sesame Seed Brittle (~10 ounces of brittle)
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1-2 tbsp water
1 cup raw sesame seeds, preferably white
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
Butter a baking sheet or line with a sheet of parchment paper.
Put the sugar, honey, salt, nutmeg, and water into a small (1 1/2 quart), thick-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium heat (5 on an electric range) until the sugar has melted without stirring. Then, as quickly as possible stir in the raw sesame seeds.
Cook the sesame seed mixture, without stirring if possible, until the mixture turns an amber caramel color, about 5 to 10 minutes.
If you have a candy thermometer, the temp should be 300°F. At this point, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and the butter. Once the butter has completely melted into the mixture, stir in the baking soda. The mixture will foam up a bit after you stir in the baking soda, as the baking soda reacts with the acid from the caramelization of the sugar.
Pour the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and allow to cool. Once completely cooled and hardened (about 15-20 minutes), break into pieces or using a large sharp knife cut into 1 1/2" strips and then squares.
Clockwise, starting at the top, peanut brittle, a black and white sesame seed brittle and lastly, a second batch of peanut brittle in which the syrup has only been cooked to the hard crack stage. The resulting brittle was then drizzled with melted chocolate.
Sesame Seed Brittle (~10 ounces of brittle)
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1-2 tbsp water
1 cup raw sesame seeds, preferably white
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
Butter a baking sheet or line with a sheet of parchment paper.
Put the sugar, honey, salt, nutmeg, and water into a small (1 1/2 quart), thick-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium heat (5 on an electric range) until the sugar has melted without stirring. Then, as quickly as possible stir in the raw sesame seeds.
Cook the sesame seed mixture, without stirring if possible, until the mixture turns an amber caramel color, about 5 to 10 minutes.
If you have a candy thermometer, the temp should be 300°F. At this point, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and the butter. Once the butter has completely melted into the mixture, stir in the baking soda. The mixture will foam up a bit after you stir in the baking soda, as the baking soda reacts with the acid from the caramelization of the sugar.
Pour the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and allow to cool. Once completely cooled and hardened (about 15-20 minutes), break into pieces or using a large sharp knife cut into 1 1/2" strips and then squares.