I wish this was my own recipe, but it’s not. It comes from “The Smitten Kitchen” by Deb Perelman. It is, however, a favorite recipe.
The rosemary and black pepper take the edge off the sweetness and give this brittle a complexity that is surprising and delicious! It’s been an autumn staple—and guilty pleasure—since I discovered it four years ago.
-Margaret Battistelli Gardner,
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Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, sliced
- 1/3 cup golden syrup, light corn syrup or sorghum
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups roasted, salted pepitas
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Large-flake sea salt
Directions
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, butter, and golden syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until caramel is light brown and registers 300 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and carefully stir in baking soda (mixture will bubble up). Quickly stir in pepitas, rosemary and pepper. Immediately scrape brittle onto prepared baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with salt. Cool completely, 35 to 45 minutes. Break into pieces. Makes 12 servings.