The Sweet Tooth

This is the week when so many of us are kitchen-centered. Lots of alchemy--candy and cookies are happening. It's such a delight--what butter and sugar can do. I've been making candies as I've had time in the last few days for gifting to friends and co-workers. I saw this recipe for Salted Pistachio Brittle and had to try it right away. I've loved pistachios since I was a kid and we'd buy bags of them on the way home from school and gobble them up, staining our fingers from the red-dyed shells.

This is a real dancing-on-the-edge recipe--the butter/sugar mixture has to be cooked almost to the point of burning and grabbed off the fire at the last possible minute.


The mixture turns a deep amber as it cooks. Then a fast dance--stir in the pistachios and spread it all on a baking sheet while it's still hot and spreadable.


Once the candy cools, it can be broken into pieces. I love the green of the pistachios next to the deep color of the candy. Very visually satisfying and yummy too.