Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Thanksgiving is this week and I’m still in shock it’s already here! I’ve been working non stop over the weekend on my gingerbread house for this years Lucky Dog Recue “A Christmas Tail” Third Annual gingerbread doghouse contest and fundraiser. I’ll share pictures of the event and unveil my house next week.

If you picked up a pumpkin to use as a floral centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table this year and you are looking for something to make using the seeds I have a tasty treat that’s super easy to make. I used a few too many seeds in my brittle, but it’s something I would try again. The only change I would make is to add the honey in at the end, because it almost had a burned honey taste to it.

Pumpkin-Seed Brittle

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

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1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheet
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds, rinsed well, dried, and toasted

Butter an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in sugar and honey. (I would add the honey in at the end to keep it from having a burned taste.)

Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is medium amber and a candy thermometer registers 280 degrees, about 6 minutes.

Stir in pumpkin seeds. Cook until mixture reaches 300 degrees, about 2 minutes.

Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely. Break into pieces.

**To make as seen on "The Martha Stewart Show," do not butter 11-by-17-inch baking sheet, but instead line it with a nonstick baking mat. The mixture should be cooked until it is dark amber in color. Finally, add 1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) in place of the fresh pumpkin seeds.

One last minute decorating tip I have for your Fall décor…. I went to Hobby Lobby last week and they have all of their Thanksgiving and Fall décor items on sale at 80% off so I picked up some items to decorate my potted fake plant in my entry way. You could even use those tall skinny trees they have at Christmas time as well.

Here’s my inspiration which was in the entry way of the Hobby Lobby store:

Here’s the stuff I got on sale:

And finally here’s the finished product: