Easy Kitchen Cupboard Nut Brittle
- inmykitchenwithyou
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A crisp caramel brittle for scattering over ice cream, cakes and puddings.
There always seems to be a handful of nuts left in the cupboard. Half a packet of hazelnuts,
a few lonely walnuts, the last spoonful of pumpkin seeds. Not quite enough of anything to make a recipe ... but together? They're perfect for nut brittle.
This is one of those wonderfully forgiving recipes that changes every time you make it. Use whatever nuts and seeds need using up, provided they roughly fill the same volume. It's less about following a strict recipe and more about rescuing those forgotten odds and ends before they disappear to the back of the cupboard forever.
Broken into golden shards, it's delicious scattered over ice cream, folded through whipped cream, sprinkled over roasted fruit or, if you're anything like me, quietly stolen straight from the tin every time you walk through the kitchen.
Kitchen Cupboard Nut Brittle - The Recipe
Makes one tray of Nut Brittle
Ingredients
200g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
120g mixed nuts and seeds (I used walnuts, whole hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds)
A pinch of flaky sea salt (optional)
Method
Line a tray or board with baking paper.
Roughly chop any large nuts, leaving smaller ones, such as hazelnuts, whole if you prefer a chunkier brittle.
Place the sugar and water into a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Resist the temptation to stir. Instead, swirl the pan gently as the sugar dissolves.
Continue cooking until the syrup turns a deep amber colour.
Working quickly, stir through the nuts and seeds until evenly coated.
Pour immediately onto the prepared baking paper and spread into a thin layer using the back of a lightly oiled spoon or an offset spatula.
If using, sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt while still warm.
Leave to cool completely until crisp before breaking into irregular shards.
Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Ideas for Using Nut Brittle
Scattered over Brown Butter & Bourbon Ice Cream.
Sprinkled over Greek yoghurt with roasted fruit.
Crushed over brownies.
Folded into homemade ice cream just before freezing for little caramel crunches.
Wrapped in a jar as a homemade gift.
Jo's Kitchen Notes
This isn't really a brittle recipe, it's a reminder that some of the best things we make come from looking in the cupboard and asking,
"What can I use up today?"
One day it'll be walnuts and hazelnuts, the next, it might be pistachios, almonds and sesame seeds. The recipe changes, but the satisfaction of turning a handful of leftovers into something people fight over never does.
