Black-and-White Sesame Brittle

By
Caroline Russock
Caroline Russock is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Caroline Russock
Caroline Russock is a writer who splits her time between Philadelphia and the Caribbean covering food, travel, leisure, lifestyle, and culture.  Her writing is featured in PhillyVoice, Eater, Eater Philly, Serious Eats, and The Tasting Table. 
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Updated April 05, 2019
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
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

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)
222Calories
17gFat
18gCarbs
1gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories222
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g22%
Saturated Fat 10g49%
Cholesterol 40mg13%
Sodium 91mg4%
Total Carbohydrate 18g6%
Dietary Fiber 1g2%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 44mg3%
Iron 1mg3%
Potassium 24mg1%
*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.)

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