Maple Pecan Brittle Food

MAPLE-PECAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
• Mix sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, water, and salt together in a pot over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, 5 to 10 minutes. Fold pecans into sugar mixture.
• Place a candy thermometer in pecan mixture and turn heat up to medium-high. Gently stir mixture until it reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), about 10 minutes.
• Quickly removing pot from heat and stir in margarine and baking soda until well mixed. Pour mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out with a spatula. Allow to cool until hardened, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces.

MAPLE PECAN CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
• In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil and 3 popcorn kernels over medium-high with lid on top. When kernels pop, add remaining kernels to pot, lower heat to medium-low, and crack the lid open a sliver, facing away from you, to release steam. (Alternatively, you could cover the pot with a mesh deep-frying screen, or an upside-down colander or strainer.) Cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the popping stops.
• Transfer popcorn to a heatproof bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. Add nuts to bowl.
• In a medium pot, bring maple syrup, butter and brown sugar to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter and sugar have melted (the mixture should be foamy). Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat, and stir in salt, vanilla and baking soda. (Mixture may bubble up.)
• Immediately pour hot syrup over popcorn mixture, and use a spatula to mix it well. Scrape popcorn onto prepared baking sheet in one layer. Bake, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, for 25 to 35 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can remove a piece of the popcorn, and after letting it cool for about a minute, it's crisp when you bite into it. Taste and sprinkle lightly with more salt if you like. Let cool before serving.

MAPLE BACON PECAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• Bring sugar, water, corn syrup, and maple syrup to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Heat to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.
• Stir pecans and vanilla into syrup mixture until mixture begins to turn brown; add bacon. Cook until bacon mixture turns light brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir baking soda into bacon mixture. Pour brittle out onto a sheet of parchment paper set on a heat-proof surface and cool brittle to room temperature before breaking into pieces, at least 30 minutes.

PECAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• Cook first 3 ingredients in a medium size heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil.
• Boil without stirring 5 minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 310 degrees.
• Add pecans, and cook 2 - 3 more minutes or to 280°F (mixture should be golden brown).
• Remove from heat, and stir in butter and remaining ingredients.
• Pour mixture onto a metal surface or onto a shallow pan.
• Allow to stand 5 minutes or until hardened.
• Break into pieces.
• * If you'd like you can also add popcorn.
• Prepare brittle as directed.
• Stir in 1 cup popped popcorn before pouring into pan.

PECAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• In a nonstick saucepan, heat and stir sugar, corn syrup, water and salt over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Over high heat, using a candy thermometer, cook sugar mixture to a hard crack stage (290 °F).
• Add pecans and butter and cook to 300 °F stirring all the time to keep the nuts from burning. Pull off heat at 300 °F and stir in baking soda while beating to froth for 30 seconds.
• Pour at once on to 4 well buttered 15 1/2 by 10 by 1-inch pans. Spread with a spatula as thin as possible. As the brittle cools you may use gloves to hand stretch the brittle which will give it a better eating quality.
• This brittle has a great shelf life, if kept in airtight zip locks or containers; it will keep for 2 months.
• Paula's Gift Packaging Tip: I love to junk for little pots and pans. I found this copper one at a store here in Savannah for FIVE dollars! I thought it would be the perfect way to gift my Pecan Brittle. I lined the saucepan with natural parchment paper piled it high with pecan brittle and tied a satin ribbon on the handle. Don't forget to add the recipe!

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE WITH SALTED PECAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• 1. FOR FILLING: In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add eggs; beat lightly until combined. Gradually add the milk, stirring to combine.
• 2. Pour filling into a prepared pastry shell. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie crust with foil. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Continue baking about 25 to 30 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and then cover and chill for 2 hours. To serve, top with Salted Pecan Brittle.
• 3. SALTED PECAN BRITTLE: In a small saucepan combine the sugar and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boiling and continue to boil, without stirring, until mixture turns a dark, amber color, about 10 minutes. Stir in the toasted chopped pecans and 1/2 tsp. sea salt.
• 4. Remove from heat; immediately pour onto a baking pan that is lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread mixture evenly over pan and immediately sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Cool completely and break into large pieces. Sprinkle over pie.

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE WITH SALTED PECAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• To prepare the pie crust: Break up the crackers and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add sugar, if using, and cinnamon, then pulse and process to create fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can use a plastic baggie and a rolling pin to crush the crackers. You should end up with about 2 cups of crumbs.
• Place crackers in a bowl, melt the butter. This mixture should hold together when squeezed in your palm. If not, add a enough water so that it does.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Press the cracker crust into a pie pan.
• In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add eggs and beat lightly with a fork. Gradually stir in milk.
• Pour filling into the cracker crust. Bake until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack. Cover, and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, spray a jellyroll pan with nonstick cooking spray or use a marble slab.
• To make the brittle: Combine Splenda, corn syrup, butter, and water in a saucepan. Stir over medium high heat until Splenda dissolves and mixture reaches a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 275 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes.
• Add pecans, then cook and stir until 295 degrees; an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and sprinkle with the baking soda. Stir to combine.
• Spread mixture on the prepared pan or marble slab thinly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Once cool, break into pieces.
• To serve, top pie with Salted Pecan Brittle.