Pumpkin Seed Brittle

This is a fantastic treat for Halloween. I wish I could say that it was a great way to use up all those seeds you scooped out of your pumpkin when you were making your jack-o-lantern, but I can't. Because unless you're willing to hull all your seeds by hand, you need to buy them already hulled. So go ahead and toast your pumpkin seeds and eat those as a snack while you make a batch of this addictive confection. Move over peanuts.

PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

Makes 12 servings (as part of tapas buffet)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup (4 oz.) green, hulled pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas), raw—not toasted

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1.      Put a 24- by 12-inch sheet of parchment on a work surface and anchor corners with pieces of tape. Or you can use a silpat if breaking the brittle instead of cutting (omit the tape). Have a second sheet of parchment ready.

2.      Bring sugar, water, and sea salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cook mixture, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238° F. (soft-ball stage) on thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes (sugar syrup will be colorless).

3.      Remove sugar syrup from heat and stir in seeds with a wooden or silicone spoon, then continue stirring until syrup crystallizes, 3 to 4 minutes.

4.      Return pan to moderate heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts completely, (sugar will continue to dry and become grainy before melting) and turns a deep caramel color, about 15 minutes or more (seeds will be toasted).

5.      Carefully pour hot caramel mixture onto parchment and carefully cover with another sheet. Immediately roll out (between sheets of parchment) as thinly as possible with a rolling pin, pressing firmly. Remove top sheet of parchment and immediately cut brittle into pieces with a heavy knife or pizza wheel.

6.      Cool brittle completely, then peel paper from bottom. (Alternately, break brittle into pieces once cool.) Brittle can be made 2 weeks ahead and kept, layers separated by wax paper, in an airtight container.

from Gourmet, January 2005 (procedure slightly tweaked)

hulled pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas)

sugar, water and salt cooking

My sugar syrup wasn't colorless because I used evaporated
cane sugar (which is browner than regular sugar).

approaching 238° F.

adding the pumpkin seeds

stirring

So far it looks normal, but as you'll see, it
starts to really dry out, the more you heat/stir.

getting bubbly

Okay, now you're starting to wonder
why it's getting thicker and weird.

Now it's so thick you're thinking you've
screwed up and it's not going to work.

Now you're cursing at your pan because
you're convinced after all this stirring that
you'll have nothing to show for it.

And now it looks like sand and you're realizing you can't
even throw this stuff away until it cools off, so you
might as well keep stirring and pray for a miracle.

Hallelujah...it's starting to melt again!

miracles do happen

ready to pour

I used a silpat (silicone mat) because I was
planning on breaking my brittle, not cutting
it (you don't want to slash your silpat).

spread out and ready to roll

FYI: this is a double batch.

rolling out with a piece of parchment on top

cooled and parchment removed

pumpkin seed brittle

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Sugar and Spice Pepitas

Every year my friends throw a party in October called Pumpkin Fest (you know it's a big shindig when your party has an official title). It seems only right to me to bring something pumpkiny (I'm kind of literal that way). So this year I made these pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds). The title of the recipe pretty much sums it up - they're a little sweet and a little spicy. It's probably too late for me to wrangle you an invite to Pumpkin Fest, so you should probably make your own batch for Halloween or your annual It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown viewing party. 

SUGAR AND SPICE PEPITAS

Makes 2 cups

1 large egg white

2 cups shelled pepitas

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1.      Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or grease very lightly with oil or nonstick spray).

2.      In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Mix in the remaining ingredients.

3.      Spread pepitas in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until pepitas are golden and dry, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Separate using a fork while still warm. Cool.

barely adapted from Bon Appétit, October 1999

separating the egg white from yolk

frothy

adding the sugar and spices

mixed

I mixed the sugar and spices first so they
would all be evenly distributed on the pepitas.

pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

mixing

mixed, close up

spread out on the sheet pan

baked

I do think I may have let mine go a few minutes longer
than necessary, but as long as they're not burnt, you're okay.

sugar and spice pepitas (up close)

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