Make Ahead

Birdseed Brittle

by:
March  8, 2015
4
4 Ratings
  • Makes 1 8x8 pan
Author Notes

I have always loved crunchy sesame candies. Hard as rocks they threaten your fillings, but give way to a great blend of nutty sweetness that melts down your throat. I also love a good cashew brittle and decided I'd combine them into a candy. And, what the heck, I'd add a bunch of other seeds for fun. Simmering some orange peel in the honey added a hint of floral notes and I think it would be even better with some actual zest folded in. —savorthis

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Ingredients
  • neutral oil or cooking spray
  • 1/3 cup
    cashews


  • 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons millet
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon chia seed (or flax)
  • peel from a tangerine or orange, white pith removed
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. * I used raw cashews, but roasted/salted would work fine as well. You can reduce the salt a bit if you do, but I think these are good with a little extra salt too.
  2. Lightly oil an 8 x 8 baking dish **. Toast the cashews carefully (they can burn easily) in a dry skillet, let cool, chop and add to a bowl. Toast the millet and add it to the bowl. Toast the seeds all together and add them to the bowl. Stir.
  3. Heat the honey and orange peel in a small saucepan until the honey boils and foams up a bit. Remove the heat and let steep about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the peel (you can let it cool and eat it right up). Heat the honey to a boil again and stir in the seed mixture. Use a candy thermometer to carefully monitor the temperature and stir constantly to avoid burning the seeds and nuts. Remove from the heat right around 280º and immediately pour into baking dish. Smooth the top with a spatula and let cool about an hour. Invert onto a cutting board and cut into pieces while still pliable. Allow to harden completely and store in an air tight container or wrap individually in cellophane.
  4. ** The 8x8 makes thick enough brittle that you might do more sucking than crunching. You can also pour the mixture out onto a bigger sheet pan and let it spread a bit thinner.
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2 Reviews

aargersi March 9, 2015
LOVE! Must make - haven't had one of those sesame candies in forever but this looks better!
savorthis March 9, 2015
Thanks Abbie! I would also recommend whapping some with a hammer (or really strong food processor) and sprinkling it on a salad.