How To Make Pumpkin Seed Brittle

My journey as a baker is deeply rooted in my love of family and home. I first encountered this recipe going through an old attic belonging to one of my many great-aunties, and you can imagine how excited I was: a whole recipe book, full of old-time favourites! Auntie Jay was a passionate cook and a pillar of her local community – it was a byword that you never argued with Miss Jay. The book was older than Auntie Jay and every recipe inside was new to me, though, so you can just imagine how excited I was to dig in.

I’ve preserved some authentic touches, as I think it gives a real flavour of times past. I’m writing it up here and will be doing a cook-along on my channel next week – all subscribers, come join in! 

First draw and quarter your pumpkin and set aside the seeds. A ‘virgin blade’ is best – I think Auntie Jay means a new knife. Pumpkin skin can be tough, so the sharper the better. 

Next wash the seeds in rainwater (tap water is fine in our day and age) and spread them to dry for a full harvest moon night. (About 14 hours.) 

Take a hammer with no iron therein (a rolling pin will do equally well) and beat the shells until their skins split. While you do so, chant the name of he or she of who you think, saying thus: Crackity seed, crackity bone, NN, seed shall not crack alone. 

(‘NN’ crops up in most of the recipes; it seems to mean ‘insert name here’. To my delight, the recipes in this book aren’t for sensible home suppers but for tasty snacks, the kind you share out at festive seasons. There was no note as to what ‘NN’ stood for, but it refers to whoever you’re making a delicious gift basket.) 

In a chaudron (pot), boil the seeds for five minutes until flayed. While you do so, chant the name of he or she of who you think, saying thus: Roll water, peel skin, NN, roll roll therein. Scoop the seeds and cast the shells on the fire.

Let the seeds dry another night. Let no mouse nor rat nor beetle place a foot upon them lest they draw the crack. (Seeds and nuts are particularly tempting to pests! Leaving things in a switched-off oven is a good safe spot for this.)

Roast the seeds within a pan. Butter a board in readiness.

Take a palmful of butter (about a quarter of a cup), 7 ounces of honey and 6 of sugar. Melt the sugar and butter within a pan, then add the honey. 

Boil to bone-crack. (146-155 Celsius, 295-310 Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, drop a little into cool water; when it forms brittle threads that’s what we now call the hard-crack stage.) 

Stir in your seeds and a pinch of rosemary, saying as you do, Rosemary for remembrance. NN, by herb and will I do not forget. 

Spread upon your board and wait until cold. With your hammer, break again the bones. (I like my chunks bite-sized, about an inch square.) 

Well, there you have it, folks! Get your ingredients ready and tune in next Friday to watch me test this vintage snack – who knows, maybe for the first time this century? 

I’ll be choosing my own ‘NN’ from my top-tier subscribers, so if you’re one of those wonderful people, watch out – it could be your name I draw out of the hat! If so, you’ll be getting your very own gift bag of this pumpkin treat, and to make it even more special I’ll even follow the final instruction on the recipe: ‘NN must be the first to take a bite of this. After the first crack you may give away all with no harm to the given.’ 

So, lucky 'NN': dial in with me to live-stream your first bite and you can tell me if it tastes as bewitching as it sounds. 

posted by Kit Whitfield  # 8:00 am