Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Peanut Brittle Recipes

THE BEST PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease with nonstick cooking spray.
• Stir together the sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy/deep-fry thermometer. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then continue to boil until it's golden brown and it reaches 340 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
• Working quickly, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and baking soda until smooth (it will foam and bubble up). Stir in the peanuts until evenly distributed amongst the sugar mixture.
• Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and quickly smooth with a rubber spatula into a thin and even layer. Let harden uncovered at room temperature until cooled completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Combine sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved and turned a golden brown color. Immediately add pumpkin seeds and mix well to coat with the caramelized sugar.
• Spread the very hot pumpkin seed mix thinly onto the prepared baking sheet. Let cool to room temperature. Break or cut into bite-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

CHEF JOHN'S PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Stir pumpkin seeds and sea salt together in a bowl.
• Stir sugar, corn syrup, and water together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil until mixture is dark golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in baking soda.
• Pour pumpkin seeds into sugar mixture and stir until well-combined. Transfer pumpkin seed mixture to prepared baking sheet. Place another silicone baking mat over the top of the pumpkin seed mixture and press down to make an even surface for the brittle. Let harden for about 30 seconds; remove top baking mat. Score surface with a knife to form desired shapes. Cool to room temperature and break into pieces.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Lightly butter cookie sheet and set aside for now.
• In small bowl, stir the cocoa and baking soda, then the butter; set aside.
• In heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and whipping cream, stirring to combine.
• Cook over medium heat. Keep stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Stir in the peanuts and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 300° or when syrup dropped into very cold water separates to threads that are hard and brittle (of course, make sure the bulb on the candy thermometer is not resting on bottom of the pan when used).
• Remove from heat and stir in cocoa mixture.
• Immediately pour onto the buttered cookie sheet.
• With tongs or wooden spoons, quickly spread and pull into a 1/4-inch thickness.
• Put cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.
• When the brittle is cool, break into pieces.

PUMPKIN-SEED BRITTLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and honey. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is medium amber and a candy thermometer registers 280 degrees, about 6 minutes. Stir in pumpkin seeds. Cook until mixture reaches 300 degrees, about 2 minutes. Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely. Break into pieces.

CRUNCHY PUMPKIN-PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Cover surface of cutting board with parchment or waxed paper; lightly spray paper with cooking spray. Set aside. Cook water and sugar in large heavy saucepan on high heat 8 to 10 min. or until sugar turns a dark amber color, stirring frequently. Swirl pan and brush down sugar crystals on sides of pan with wet pastry brush just until sugar comes to boil.
• Remove saucepan from heat; quickly stir in nuts, pumpkin seeds and butter. Immediately pour mixture onto prepared parchment; spread evenly with wooden spoon. While hot, cut into 24 pieces. Cool completely
• Drizzle or spread thin layer of chocolate over brittle.

PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

Steps:

• Put a 24- by 12-inch sheet of parchment on a work surface and anchor corners with pieces of tape. 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). Remove from heat and stir in seeds with a wooden spoon, then continue stirring until syrup crystallizes, 3 to 4 minutes.
• 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, 4 to 5 minutes more (seeds will be toasted). 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. Cool brittle completely, then peel paper from bottom. (Alternately, break brittle into pieces once cool.)

DARK CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN SEED PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the butter, baking soda and kosher salt in a small bowl and place next to the stove. Combine the peanuts, pumpkin seeds and wheat germ in a medium bowl, and place next to the stove.
• Combine 3/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup in a large pot set over high heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan, making sure it doesn't touch the bottom of the pot. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 280 degrees F and is amber-colored, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and very carefully add in the butter mixture and stir vigorously for 45 seconds. The mixture will bubble up aggressively and lighten to an orange-caramel color, if it gets darker, the caramel has gotten too hot and will taste burnt. Stir in the nuts and wheat germ. Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared pan and spread it out in an even layer. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler (or in a heat-proof bowl set over barely simmering water) over medium-low heat until smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes. Spread the chocolate over the brittle then sprinkle the sea salt over the top. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm and cool to the touch, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Break the brittle into 2- to 3-inch chunks. Store in an airtight container.