I love pine nuts. And, years ago, at an engagement party for a friend, I had dinner at an Italian restaurant in Berkeley. One of their dessert options was a cheese plate with various pairings including quince jelly and a walnut brittle with rosemary in it. I had never heard of making a brittle with anything besides peanuts, much less adding savory herbs! With soft and sour goat cheese, it was an amazing pairing. Thought about it ever since.
Since moving to Nevada, I have been curious about native edibles. In the Great Basin, though, pickings are pretty slim. It is so dry and the weather is so extreme.
But we have pinyon pines. And I have written about them before. They make arguably the best pine nuts ever.
And I decided to make pine nut brittle, with green tips of fresh pine for an herbal additive. Turned out amazing.
I stole the peanut brittle recipe from here and then swapped out the peanuts and added fresh green tips. It's too late to add them now, but my next batch I will probably try rosemary again as it has a piney fresh taste as well. Try making a batch and serving it with soft, crumbly goat cheese at a party! YUM!
Pine Nut Brittle
Candy thermometer required!
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
1 c. pine nuts (yes, it is expensive! sorry!)
2 Tblsp. softened butter
1 tsp. baking soda
2-3 Tblsp. fresh, bright green pine tips (springtime only!) or another herb such as rosemary. (or 1 tsp. of a ground spice, like allspice or rubbed sage.)
1. You will need a greased cookie sheet -- might as well Pam a sheet at the beginning and set it aside. Also, you will need your teaspoon of baking soda measured and read, as well as the butter ready to go.
2. In a small sauce pan, add sugar, corn syrup, salt and water. Turn the heat on to high, and stir to dissolve the sugar.
3. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the pine nuts and clip the candy thermometer in place to watch the temp.
4. Stir frequently or the nuts will burn and the candy will as well in spots. Once you reach 300 degrees F (hard crack stage), remove from heat immediately.
5. Add the butter, soda, and pine tips (or other herbs) and stir quickly -- the soda will make the candy foam up.
6. As soon as everything has been stirred in well, pour the candy onto the cookie sheet. Allow it to set. If you are in a warm place, you may need to place it in the fridge.
7. Once the candy is hard, it is easy to snap chunks off the pan. Delicious!
Caution: if you live in a warm place or are experiencing the heat of summer, you may need to keep the candy in the fridge. I made a batch that started melting and getting to a consistency that was about to pull peoples' teeth out, rather than crunching and crumbling. Once I put the remaining candy in the fridge, it firmed up right and was much more edible.
