Black-and-White Sesame Brittle

Black-and-white sesame brittle
Photograph: Lisa Warninger

Bottles of wine and bouquets of flowers make for lovely hostess gifts, but a box of handmade candy says "thanks for inviting me over" in a much more personal fashion. This Black-and-White Sesame Brittle from Kir Jensen's The Sugar Cube is ideal to bring along to any dinner party. It's simple to make, impressive to gift, and a sweet treat to nibble on after any meal.

The best part about this brittle is the simplicity factor: it's really just a matter of bubbling up a batch of caramel, stirring in the black and white sesame seeds, pouring it over a sheet of parchment, crackling it into shards of salty-sweet candy, and wrapping it into a neat little package.

Reprinted with permission from The Sugar Cube by Kir Jensen. Copyright © 2012. Published by Chronicle Books. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

Recipe Details

Black-and-White Sesame Brittle

Active 30 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 12 servings
Makes 1 1/2 pounds

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  • 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds

  • 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the butter, sugar, water, and salt and cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pot, until the mixture reaches 260°F (125°C) on a candy thermometer. Add the seeds and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 350°F (180°C) or until the sugar takes on a dark golden brown color.

  2. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer about 1/4-inch thick. Set aside to cool until firm.

  3. Once the brittle has set, break it into pieces and serve in a candy dish, over ice cream, or dipped in bittersweet chocolate.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
222 Calories
17g Fat
18g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 222
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 91mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 44mg 3%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 24mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)