Salted Pistachio Brittle

I firmly believe that when it comes to the world of sweets, salt should be present ninety percent of the time.  Salt is a powerful little crystal, it elevates and deepens flavors, it balances sweetness and, combined with sugar, is utterly irresistible.

Crunchy, buttery nuts are cooked and covered in sweet, crisp sugar - brittle is a nothing-can-go-wrong situation. 

Peanuts are not exactly my first choice when it comes to nuts.  Perhaps that is because peanuts are not actually nuts, but that’s another subject all together.  Pistachios, however, have always held my particular regard.  Their flavor is buttery and unique and I never get tired of their stunning chartreuse hue. 

Pistachios and flaky sea salt take this brittle to the next level.  The ratio of salty, to sweet, to crunch is ever-so addicting. 

While downloading the pictures for this post I sat at my desk and enjoyed a small piece of brittle.  I then walked back out to the kitchen and grabbed two pieces of brittle, and this situation repeated itself a large number of times.  It is positively delicious and nearly impossible to walk away from.  You have been warned. 

Happy Wednesday friends!

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie

Salted Pistachio Brittle

recipe adapted from bon appetite

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup unsalted, shelled raw pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• flaky sea salt  (I used a Cyprus sea salt, but whatever strikes your fancy will do.)

Liberally grease a nonstick baking sheet with butter; set aside.  

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup and 3 tablespoons of water - whisk to combine.  Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.  Cook until the thermometer reads 290 degrees, about 3-5 minutes.  

Using a wooden spoon, stir in pistachios, butter, and kosher salt.  This will cause the syrup to seize at first but it will melt down.  Cook the syrup, stirring often, until the syrup has reaches 300 degrees and the pistachios have browned slightly, about 2-4 minutes.  The caramel will be a golden brown.  Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda.  As soon as the baking soda has been stirred into the caramel, pour out onto the greased baking sheet.  Use a heat-proof spatula to spread the brittle out.  

Before the brittle hardens, sprinkle the top with sea salt.  Once the brittle has cooled completely, break the brittle into pieces.  Store the brittle at room temperature in an airtight container between sheets of parchment paper, this will keep the brittle from sticking together.  Brittle will store for up to a week, but honestly, there is no way it will be around for that long.  Enjoy! 

Chocolate-Dipped Pumpkin Marshmallows

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”  - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that today is September 22nd?  We have once again reached that glorious autumnal equinox and I am screaming for joy because my favorite season has returned.

These marshmallows are my ode to fall.  They perfectly encompass my feelings towards this season.  They are a reinvented version of the familiar flavors of autumn.  

These marshmallows are spiced up, flavored with pumpkin, and impaled before their visit to the chocolate spa.  They are then dipped in crushed graham crackers.  It's a faux-smore kind of situation.  No fire required.  

Our chocolate is spiked with coconut oil.  Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature and this quality allows our chocolate to set up like a charm.  Kitchen magic.  

Marshmallows are one of my favorite things to make, and they are so easy!  

Typically, we use light corn syrup for marshmallows, but I traded it in for the dark syrup in this recipe, as to keep with our rich, autumn flavors.   

These marshmallows happen to taste like pumpkin pie.  If you have ever dreamed about combining pumpkin pie and smores then these are totally for you.

Thank you Autumn for returning to us.  Happy first day of Fall! 

Sincerely, 

   Pedantic Foodie 

(Okay, so technically it will not be Autumn on the Northern Hemisphere until 10:29pm, but who cares?  All you technical people can just leave me and my pumpkin spice latte alone.  Eat a marshmallow for goodness sakes.  Thanks, bye.) 

Chocolate-Dipped Pumpkin Marshmallows 

recipe adapted from Alton Brown 

for the marshmallows 

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin 
• 1 cup ice water, divided 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree 
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• nonstick spray 

chocolate and assembly 

• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 10 graham crackers, crushed 
• wooden popsicle sticks

Coat a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray and generally dust liberally with confectioner’s sugar.  

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 1/2 cup ice water with gelatin.  

In a small saucepan combine remaining water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Cover and place over medium heat - cook for 3-4 minutes.  Uncover and attach a candy thermometer.  Cook for 7-8 minutes, until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F.  Remove from heat.  

Turn the mixer on low speed and pour the syrup into the gelatin mixture.  Once all the syrup is added increase the speed to high.  Beat for 13 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and fluffy.  In the last minute of beating, add spices, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.  

Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan and dust the top liberally with confectioner’s sugar.  

Allow the marshmallow to sit for 3 hours before removing from the pan.  Turn the marshmallow out unto a cutting board dusted with confectioner’s sugar and use a greased pizza cutter to cut into 1-inch squares.  Once the marshmallows are cut dust all edges with remaining sugar.  

In a small bowl combine chopped chocolate and coconut oil.  Microwave for 30 second increments, stirring in between each heating cycle, until the chocolate is melted.  

Skewer the marshmallows with the popsicle sticks.  Dip the bottom half of each marshmallow into the chocolate and roll in graham cracker crumbs.  

Place the marshmallows on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and transfer to the freezer.  Freeze for 7-10 minutes.  This shocks the chocolate and helps it set up quickly.  

To store, lay the pops out side by side and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  They will remain fresh for about 3 days.  Undipped marshmallows can be stored in airtight containers for up to a week.  

Enjoy!  

Salted Pistachio Cookies with Cherries & Dark Chocolate

I daydream about being one of those people who sits at a writing desk all morning long, looking out an antique window across a foggy pasture.  I sit there until I hear my doorbell ring and then I leave my desk to welcome in a visitor who spontaneously dropped by for a cup of tea.  While my kettle heats I twist the lid off a ceramic jar filled with freshly baked cookies.  Cookies which I had baked for just such an occasion.  My guest and I chat over steaming cups of Earl Grey and eat cookies before lunch - because we can. 

In reality, I make cookies, I take pictures of them, and I give them to anyone and everyone I happen to meet.  My purse is a makeshift cookie jar.  Though reality does not include as many leisurely mornings and casual callers as I would wish, it does include cookies and lovely people with whom I can share them.

Cookies are so much fun to share, especially when they are packed with buttery pistachios, sweet dried cherries and lots of dark chocolate.

I like to chop my chocolate before folding it into the cookie dough.  This ensures that every bite of cookie has chocolate running through it.  Rich, roasted pistachios make these cookies extra buttery and a healthy dose of salt perfectly balances the sweetness of the chewy dried cherries. 

Cookies have so many wonderful qualities, one being that they beg for creativity.  You can add practically anything to a cookie and it will be delicious.  Pistachios can be exchanged for pecans.  If you happen to have some dried cranberries laying around they can easily take the place of cherries.  

Dark chocolate can be substituted with…well, why would you want to replace chocolate?  

Cookies can help us get through the toughest of Wednesdays.  

Sincerely, 

   Pedantic Foodie 

Salted Pistachio Cookies with Cherries and Dark Chocolate 

makes about 2 dozen

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt 
• 1 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup roasted and unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In the bowl of your stand-mixer beat butter for 1 minute  Add sugars and beat for several minutes, until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg.  

In a large bowl whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking soda.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet in four installments; beating well after each addition.  After all the dry ingredients have been added, fold in dark chocolate, pistachios, and dried cherries.  

Portion the cookie dough into 1-ounce balls and place several inches apart on a lined baking sheet lined with parchment.  Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are deep golden brown.  Transfer the warm cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool.  Enjoy!