How to Make Pine Nut Brittle

Pine nuts have a mildly sweet flavor.

Brittle is an ideal candy to make at home; it requires few ingredients and minimal tools. It can be made with virtually any type of nut, and you can add dried fruit, liquor and extracts to make your recipe unique. Although cookbooks such as “Tartine” and “Gramercy Tavern” recommend using peanuts and pistachios, pine nuts are particularly delicious in brittle. The high fat content in the pine nut adds a creamy, rich taste to an otherwise sweet, crunchy candy.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Two sheet pans
• Parchment paper
• Medium saucepan
• Pastry brush
• Wooden spoon
• Offset spatula
• 1/2 lb. pine nuts
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pine nuts into one layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. Line a second sheet pan with parchment paper. Oil the parchment paper, wooden spoon and offset spatula to prevent sticking.

3. Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir gently. Wet a pastry brush with water and wash the inside walls of the pan to remove any excess sugar granules.

4. Cook sugar mixture on high heat until it is light gold in color.

5. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the pine nuts to the cooked sugar. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

6. Remove from heat and add the honey, butter, salt, baking soda and almond extract. Mix vigorously.

7. Pour the hot, pine nut brittle onto the sheet pan lined with oiled parchment paper. Spread the mixture out evenly with an offset spatula. Let cool.

8. When completely cool, break the brittle into small pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• To clean your pan, fill it with water and bring the water to a boil. The cooked sugar stuck to the pan will dissolve in the hot water. You can also clean nonplastic utensils by adding them to the pot of boiling water.

• Hot sugar can burn your skin. Should your skin come into contact with hot sugar, immediately run cold water over the affected areas.

References

• “Tartine”; Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson; 2006
• “Desserts of Gramercy Tavern”; Claudia Fleming; 2001
• Epicurious: Food Dictionary, Pine Nuts

Resources

• Food Timeline: Brittle