Sesame Nut Brittle — Unwritten Recipes (2024)

Makes a nice large tin

It’s not absolutely necessary, but nice to have a candy thermometer for this.

Prep Time: Under 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon softened butter for greasing the baking sheet

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 cup water

• ½ cup sliced almonds

• ½ cup pecans

• ½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• A few pinches of flaky sea salt, like Maldon

The Recipe

1. Generously butter a large rimmed baking sheet (I used a 10x15 jelly roll pan, but anything around that size will work). Set aside.

2. Put the sugar in a 2-quart, heavyweight saucepan and slowly add the water so that it doesn’t splash up on the sides. Stir carefully to dissolve the sugar and then turn the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Let the sugar continue to cook without stirring at all, but swirling the pot every now and then until it turns amber, about 320ºF if you are using a candy thermometer. This process can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes. Do not walk away!! You are essentially making caramel and this can go from just right to burned in the blink of an eye.

3. As soon as the caramel is done, remove it from the heat and working quickly, stir in all of the nuts and the sesame seeds, using a heatproof spoon or spatula and pour the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet. Smooth it out into a thin even layer and sprinkle with the sea salt. Let sit until firm and cool, at least 30 minutes.

4. Break up the brittle into bite-sized pieces. I’m told this lasts for a week stored in an airtight container at room temperature but this is only rumored. I’ve never had it last long enough to happen!!

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from One Good Dish by David Tanis. I cooked the caramel a lot longer than the recipe said and simplified some of the steps too. Feel free to sub in your favorite nuts.