SPICED PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE + LABELS TO PRINTING

 With Halloween behind us time to think about Thanksgiving as it will be here before we know it.  This recipe is very easy to make and is delicious (husband approved!). It would be great for a hostess gift or just to set out in a bowl.  One batch (minus the ones that hubby needed to taste to make sure it was "OK.") made three small bags which I intend to use as a little take-home gift for my Thanksgiving guests.

First thing to do is to gather the simple ingredients and put the 1 cup of pepitas onto a Silpat mat and put in a 300 degree for about 10 minutes until a little toasted, bring them out and sprinkle with salt and let them cool. This step is optional but I like the flavor better if the seeds are a little toasted.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup shelled, raw pumpkin seeds, toasted

Directions:

Melt butter over medium heat, stir in sugar, spices and honey (spray your measuring device with non-stick spray for the honey). Bring to a boil and let it boil until 280 degrees on candy thermometer, approximately five minutes. Stir in the roasted pumpkin seeds and cook until mixture reaches 300 degrees about two minutes.  Pour onto the Silpat mat (or buttered parchment paper on a cookie sheet).  Let it cool completely and break into pieces and store in container or gift bags.

The pumpkin seeds have been added....

Poured onto the Silpat mat...cooling....

 I admit I struggled with my label design.  Finally I went to The Graphic's Fairy and found this great frame, made it orange and added my information and some graphics and now I am happy.  Will put the link below for the graphic.  Feel free to copy and paste this label.

TO PRINT: If you have a draw program just copy and paste the sheet into your program. If you do not have a draw program an easy way to print out a sheet of these labels is to "right click" on the image and "save to your desktop", then "right click" on the file on the desktop and you get the option to "open in Picasa" (if you do not have Picasa it is free and an easy download) once in Picasa select the "print" option, then "full page", if it does not fit the page then select the" fit to page" option and it will print out perfectly.  If you are not using a lami-label then print it out on a full 8 1/2 x 11 full sheet label and then cut around the labels as you need them. I know this sounds complicated but it is really easy and once you have done it you will see it is just that. Right click, save to desktop, right click, open in Picasa and print. Here is the link for Picasa: Link

Even though I only needed three labels because I was making a lami-label I did a full sheet of six so as to not waste the label.  I did not put the date on them so I can use at anytime.  If you have not used a lami-label it is a two part sheet and you lift the top and insert your paper that you have printed out and then run it through a laminator and voila you have labels as the back pulls off and it is sticky. I have a laminator but if you do not most of the Fedex Business (Kinkos) offices carry them and you could run off your sheet of labels and go to them and ask them to do the lami-label.  Not sure of the cost but I do buy lami-labels from them and I think I pay $1 a piece for the 8 1/2 by 11 size.  I love to use them for canning jars too.

I simply cut around the curves of the frame, peeled off the back and pressed to the front of a food safe cellophane bag.  Ready to fill and tie with a ribbon. You could always print your labels off on an 8 1/2 x 11 full sheet label and they would be great - just not laminated.

All done and ready to go home with my guests.

Cooks Note:  This is probably the easiest candy I make and making candy is not hard if you follow the directions but one thing I like to mention when people ask about making candy and that is not all thermometers are made equal, we live at different elevations, etc. so when making candy watch the thermometer but use your eyes and your nose too - that is if the recipe states that a certain temp should be reached and your candy is starting to smell like it might burn or the color is getting way too dark - pull it off, or at least that always works for me.

Resource

Cellophane bags, Wilton
Lami-Labels, FexEx-Kinkos
Ribbon, Costco
Pumpkin seeds (pepitos)-bulk foods aisle of your grocery store
Frame graphic for label, The Graphic's Fairy
Font used for label, ChopinScript, 38.25 pt.

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