Comments on: pepita brittle

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:39:31 +0000

I had big plans to make this for Christmas gifts this year. The first time I attempted this brittle it turned out perfectly. PERFECTLY (except I missed the 1/2 cup of water part and only put in the 2 T of water – but it still seemed to turn out just fine! I also used sunflower seeds, which I really liked). But like the moron I am, I made the same mistake as a previous poster and assumed that wax paper is interchangeable with parchment. So I ended up with a big batch of wax paper brittle. Yuck. However, the small edges that didn’t have wax paper melted to it were quite good! But in the garbage can it went…

Second time around (an hour later – I was determined to not let this beat me), I made sure to use parchment paper and to add the correct quantity of water. I must have taken it off the heat too early, because my brittle was not…brittle. It never got glossy, and it turned out to be sort of crumbly. It still tasted pretty good, but needless to say that I was thoroughly disappointed that I couldn’t master it. SO! Word to the wise – listen to Deb, use parchment paper, and just watch for it to turn a golden brown.

By: Meghan

Meghan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:16:37 +0000

I’ve been making peanut brittle for Christmas for years and decided to try out this recipe this year. Totally glad I did – it’s really fantastic!

I made a few different variations, the best of which used peanuts and pepitas and had about a 1/4 tsp cinnamon and at least 1/8 tsp each cayenne pepper and chili powder for a subtle heat. I also found that swapping out the water for beer added a good flavor (just let come to room temp before adding to the pot to avoid foaming) and, when using peanuts – get the Spanish red-skinned type and add at least half to the pot about a minute before taking off the heat. That lead to the brittle syrup taking on some extra peanut flavor.

By: Nabeela

Nabeela — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:20:46 +0000

Hi Deb! Just wanted to let you know I made this brittle with blanched roasted peanuts. I used 1 1/2 tsp sea salt…..and that was still too much, unfortunately. I’ll use 3/4 tsp salt the next time….but other than that, the recipe is awesome, especially since it doesn’t require a candy thermometere :)
Thank you for posting awesome recipes!
P.S: Used agave nectar instead of corn syrup…that’s all I had

By: kari

kari — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:32:30 +0000

Woweee. Well, I used a thermometer to 300 degrees, per the hard crack stage recommendation of another reader. The candy that stuck to my thermometer came out nice and brittle, but the bit we mixed all that salt into is real crumbly and super salty. We used unsalted butter, but some really old-timey sea salt that might have been more salty than normal. Not sure what the problem is, but I think next time I’ll limit to a tablespoon of salt and dial back the pepitas too.

By: deb

deb — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:00:58 +0000

lost — Waxed paper is not interchangeable with parchment. The wax on wax paper comes off when heated (and ends up in your food); parchment is silicone-coated, and stays non-stick up to 425 degrees. A silicone baking mat will work the same as parchment.

By: lostinsimulation

lostinsimulation — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:39:31 +0000

mine stuck to the wax paper. i think i would do better on a silicone baking matt or directly on a well greased metal pan. any other suggestions? it was delicious,however, and the texture was perfect. to check for texture, i just periodically dribbled a little in cold water and sampled that until the chewiness disappeared.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:51:26 +0000

I’ve made this twice now in a week for two different parties. This has got to be one of my favorite things I’ve made in some time! Yum yum yummy yum!

As far as technique, the rolling pin method worked really well to help smooth it out. On top of that I used a pizza roller to cut the brittle into strips. Mine was a little dull, so perhaps that was why it worked so well, but not a bad idea for those interested in trying!

By: Carl

Carl — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:34:52 +0000

Just thought I would let you know. From this page:http://smittenkitchen.com/pumpkin-winter-squash-recipes/ the picture for Silkey Smooth Pumpkin Pie links to this recipe instead of the pumpkin pie recipe. (Which, by the way I will be making this weekend. haha)

By: Marla

Marla — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:29:58 +0000

I made this over the weekend. I used the 10-minute time and it came out a golden color and not a dark brown like in the picture.It was hard to the tooth but quickly broke down and got sticky and gooey (still tasty, though). It was my first attempt at brittle so I did want to push it. Now I know I can cook it longer. To what temperature should I cook it to get that fab amber color?

It was still delicious and I received many compliments.

By: Sally

Sally — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:30:05 +0000

Just tried this last night, using only the color as a guide and it turned out great and you’re right about the little air pocket in the pepita its pretty awesome.