Best Pine Nut Brittle Recipes

PINE NUT AND ROSEMARY BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inchrimmed baking sheet withcooking spray. Bring sugarand corn syrup to a boil in amedium saucepan, stirringand brushing down sides witha wet pastry brush to preventsugar crystals from forming,until sugar dissolves. Cook,swirling occasionally, untilmixture just starts to turn goldenaround edge.
• Stir in mix-ins. Cook, stirringoccasionally, until mixtureis pale amber, about8 minutes. Pour onto bakingsheet without spreading.Let cool. Break into pieces.

HONEY MOUSSE WITH PINE NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• HONEY MOUSSE: Whip yolks and honey in a standing electric mixer until thick (approximately 10 minutes). Whip cream. Fold cream and honey/egg mixture. Freeze for at least 40 minutes. PINE NUT BRITTLE: Mix sugar with a little water at a time, until it reaches the consistency of wet sand. In a non-stick pan, caramelize the mixture until amber. Pour onto aluminum foil and sprinkle with nuts. Let cool. Break up into medium size pieces. Assembly: In Champagne glass, layer mousse with pomegranate syrup and brittle until the glass is filled. Finish with a sprinkle of brittle.

PINE NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Spray heavy large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Stir sugar and water in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep golden, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped into water and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Immediately pour out mixture onto prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with pine nuts.
• Working quickly and carefully (mixture is very hot and hardens fast), press tip of knife into edges of caramel sheet and gently stretch in all directions until caramel becomes thin and transparent. Cool completely. Break brittle into irregular large pieces. (Brittle can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

NECTARINES WITH RICOTTA-VANILLA CREAM AND PINE-NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Toss nectarines with 1 teaspoon sugar and lime juice in a bowl and let macerate, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Purée ricotta, milk, vanilla, and 3 teaspoon sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and chill in freezer, stirring halfway through, until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Line a 4-sided sheet pan with foil. Bring water and remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until medium amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in pine nuts, then immediately pour out onto foil, quickly spreading with a spatula as thinly as possible. Cool 5 minutes. Peel brittle from foil and break into pieces.
• Stir mint into nectarines and serve fruit with ricotta cream and pieces of brittle.

PINE NUT BRITTLE WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• 1. Place the sugar in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until sugar begins to melt. Lower the heat to medium-high and keep stirring just until the sugar is melted. Stop stirring and watch for it to turn a medium caramel color. About 10 minutes total. 2. Stir in pine nuts, and then butter. Allow pine nuts to cook for about two minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in half of the rosemary and half of the sea salt. 3. Turn the mixture out onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and spread it evenly to the desired thickness with a wooden spoon or stiff rubber spatula. Sprinkle remaining rosemary and salt on top, while brittle is still warm. 4. Allow to cool completely--at least one hour--then break the brittle into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature. If your brittle isn't brittle enough to break into pieces, pop it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes, until it hardens enough to snap easily.

POMEGRANTE PINE NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the pomegranate juice, sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, for about 12 minutes, or until the mixture registers 305°F on an instant-read thermometer and is caramel in color. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately (and very carefully) whisk in the pine nuts, salt, and baking soda. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet (the mixture will spread out on its own). Allow the brittle to cool completely; then break into pieces and enjoy. The brittle will keep for several days in an airtight tin if you live in an area with low humidity.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED LAVENDER PINE NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease two 15x10x1-in. pans with melted butter; set aside., In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook without stirring over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 230° (thread stage). Carefully add pine nuts; cook and stir constantly until mixture reaches 300° (hard-crack stage)., Remove from the heat; stir in the softened butter, baking soda, vanilla, lavender and salt. Immediately pour into prepared pans. Spread to 1/4-in. thickness. Cool before breaking into pieces., In a microwave, melt chocolate coating; stir until smooth. Dip each candy piece halfway into the melted chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper and let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

PINEAPPLE AND LIME SORBETS WITH PINE NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• For pineapple sorbet: Stir 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cool. Stir in pineapple juice. Chill until cold. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions until softly set. Add chopped pineapple; continue to process until sorbet is firm. Transfer to covered container and freeze.
• For lime sorbet: Using vegetable peeler, cut peel (green part only) from limes. Combine 1 cup water, sugar and lime peel in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Discard lime peel. Cool syrup. Mix sugar syrup, lime juice and remaining 1 cup water in medium bowl. Chill until cold. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions until sorbet is firm. Transfer to covered container and freeze. (Pineapple and lime sorbets can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)
• Place alternate scoops of pineapple sorbet and lime sorbet in tall glasses. Garnish with piece of Pine Nut Brittle.