Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan
• •Candy thermometer
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
• •Offset spatula
• •Heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your workspace

   Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or well-buttered parchment paper. Have all your remaining ingredients measured and within arm's reach. Once the sugar hits temperature, you have maybe thirty seconds to work. This is not the time to be hunting for the baking soda. Set your butter pieces, baking soda, bourbon, and vanilla right next to the stove.

   A silicone mat releases brittle cleanly every time. If using parchment, butter it generously or you will be chipping candy off paper.
2. 2

   Toast the pecans

   Spread pecan halves on a baking sheet and toast in a 350F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. You want them fragrant and just starting to darken. The oils will release and the flavor deepens considerably. Keep them warm while you make the syrup. Cold nuts added to hot candy can cause it to seize.

   Louisiana pecans have a richer, more buttery flavor than other varieties. They're worth seeking out for this recipe.
3. 3

   Cook the sugar syrup

   Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. You'll feel the grit disappear when you scrape the bottom with your spoon. Once dissolved, stop stirring entirely. Clip a candy thermometer to the side, making sure it doesn't touch the bottom of the pan.

4. 4

   Bring to hard crack stage

   Increase heat to medium-high and let the syrup bubble without stirring. Watch the thermometer and watch the color. The syrup will go from clear to pale gold to deep amber as it approaches 300F. You're looking for hard crack stage: 300 to 310F. The whole kitchen will smell like caramel, and the bubbles will become smaller and more aggressive. This takes 15 to 20 minutes. Do not walk away.

   If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, brush them down with a wet pastry brush. One crystal can cause the whole batch to crystallize.
5. 5

   Add butter and pecans

   The moment your thermometer hits 300F, remove the pan from heat. Working quickly, stir in the butter pieces until melted and incorporated. The mixture will bubble and spit, so keep your face back. Add the warm toasted pecans and stir to coat them evenly in the hot syrup.

6. 6

   Add baking soda and bourbon

   Now the magic happens. Add the baking soda and stir vigorously. The mixture will foam up dramatically, turning opaque and nearly doubling in volume. This reaction creates the brittle's signature light, shattery texture. Immediately add the bourbon and vanilla. It will sputter and steam. Stir quickly to combine, maybe three or four strokes. Do not overmix or the foam will deflate.

   The bourbon's alcohol will mostly cook off from the residual heat, leaving behind that warm, vanilla-oak flavor that makes this brittle special.
7. 7

   Pour and spread

   Pour the foaming mixture onto your prepared baking sheet immediately. Use a buttered offset spatula or the back of a buttered spoon to spread it as thin as possible, working quickly before it sets. You want it no thicker than a quarter inch. The thinner you spread it, the more delicate and shattery your brittle will be. You have about sixty seconds before it becomes unworkable.

8. 8

   Cool and break

   Let the brittle cool completely at room temperature, about 30 minutes. It should be hard, glossy, and release easily from the mat or paper. Once cool, break into irregular shards with your hands or the handle of a wooden spoon. The pieces should snap cleanly with a satisfying crack. If they bend, the brittle didn't reach proper temperature.

Chef Tips

• •Use a heavy-bottomed pan. Thin pans create hot spots that scorch the sugar. At Lagniappe, we use enameled cast iron for all our candy work.
• •A reliable candy thermometer is worth the investment. Digital probe thermometers give you more accuracy than the old dial types.
• •If you don't have a thermometer, use the cold water test. Drop a small amount of syrup into ice water. At hard crack stage, it will form brittle threads that snap when bent.
• •Store brittle in an airtight container at room temperature. Humidity is the enemy. A single day in a humid kitchen will turn your shatteringly crisp brittle into a sticky, chewy mess.
• •For gift giving, layer pieces between wax paper in decorative tins. The brittle keeps for two to three weeks stored properly.

Advance Preparation

• •Pecans can be toasted up to a week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
• •Finished brittle keeps for 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, away from humidity.
• •Do not refrigerate or freeze. The condensation will make the brittle sticky and ruin the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 28g)