pumpkin seed and cinnamon brittle recipe
A big flat plate of pumpkin seed brittle – like sesame seed snaps but with bigger seeds - is a great thing for any autumn party. It goes dow well with children and adults alike, and will keep for a week or two in an airtight tin.
Makes enough to fill a 30 x 38cm baking tin
- 200g pumpkin seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 600g granulated sugar
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon runny honey
Oil a 30 x 38cm shallow-sided baking tin.
Dry-fry the pumpkin seeds in a hot frying pan for 3-4 minutes, stirring all the time whilst the seeds are popping.
Put the cinnamon and salt into a small bowl and mix together. In another bowl mix the bicarbonate of soda with the vanilla extract.
Place the remaining ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan, add 250ml water and stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and boil rapidly for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should become golden brown and reach 170-174°C on a sugar thermometer.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and vanilla mixtures and the dry-fried pumpkin seeds. The caramel will bubble up slightly.
Pour immediately into the prepared baking tin and spread it out swiftly and evenly. The brittle starts to set quite quickly and will be fully set after 30-40 minutes. It can then be easily released by gently twisting the baking tin. Break the brittle into pieces (I use the end of a rolling pin to do this) and serve.
This recipe appears on p316 of Sarah's Food for Friends and Family cookbook.
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