Thursday, October 29, 2009

Pepita Brittle and Orange Margarita

Who says Halloween is just for kids? For those of us empty nesters and singles, we can celebrate the occasion with some grown-up tastes.

Try this gorgeous Orange “Pumpkin” Margarita for example. Decorate the glass by rimming it with some green sugar crystals and floating an orange slice on top. The stem is created by inserting a piece of green “Good and Fruity” candy, simple yet fun. No, I didn’t create this; I saw it in the Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate Magazine for Halloween. Her drink recipe is different and it is called the Jack-O-Lantern, but the idea is similar. Big folks like to have fun too you know.

The Pepita Brittle comes from the Martha Stewart Living Magazine for October. I’ve made peanut brittle but had never tried it with pumpkin seeds. The only thing I did differently was I added a “light” sprinkling of chipotle powder on top to excite the flavor experience with a bit of heat with the sweetness of the brittle. I loved it. Have fun this Halloween.

If you have kids, enjoy the holiday with them. If you don’t, gather some friends and family and celebrate anyway. Happy Halloween.


Orange “Pumpkin” Margarita

Ingredients:
1 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Triple sec
4-6 oz Orange juice
1 splash Lime juice
Mixing instructions:
Combine tequila, triple sec, and orange juice over ice, and stir. Top it off with a splash of lime juice or sour mix.


Pumpkin Seed (Pepita) Brittle
(Martha Stewart HALLOWEEN Mag., 2009)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheet
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted


Butter an 11 by 17-inch rimmed baking sheet.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and honey. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is medium amber and candy thermometer registers 280 degrees, about 6 minutes.

Stir in pumpkin seeds. Cook until mixture reaches 300 degrees, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely, break into pieces.

I made some simple sleeves out of parchment paper to put the brittle into. This keeps your guests from getting sticky fingers.

To see another post I have on Pepitas, follow this link.

14 comments:

Kelly said...

I love the added dash of heat in your brittle. I'm a huge fan of the sweet-spicy combination. It's nice to have that little kick that makes you stand up and notice.

I do have to ask though, because I have been staring at your margarita picture. What is the green dot in the middle of the orange. I cannot figure it out and it is driving me batty!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the bottom of a lime?

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

Kelly, the stem is a piece of candy.
Decorate the glass by rimming it with some green sugar crystals and floating an orange slice on top. The stem is created by inserting a piece of green “Good and Fruity” candy, simple yet fun.

Although, Anonymous has a good idea. The bottom of a lme could probably work just as well.

Let me know if you try it and what you use to create the stem :)

Juliana said...

Pepita brittle? Looks yummie, this is something that I should try to make :-) The margarita looks absolutely delicious :-)

Maria said...

Ahhh, I can go for an orange margarita right about now. We will have company on Halloween and perhaps I will get my sister to make these as she always takes on the role of bartender. The brittle looks delicious ... I love brittle and this is a great take on it.

Anonymous said...

Awesome margarita and the brittle with pumpkin seeds sounds really good, a perfect Halloween treat!

Amber said...

Lovely margarita! And I've never heard of pumpkin seed brittle..I love that idea! :-)

Reeni said...

These are delicious treats for Halloween - or anytime! I have a huge bag of pumpkin seeds - the brittle looks so yummy!! Happy Halloween Teresa!

Adam said...

Happy Halloween buddy! I'm glad to see you're having a little "grown up" fun this time of year :) Love the pumpkin brittle, and you always make a mean margarita :)

Ivy said...

Happy Halloween Teresa. Hope you have a great time. The brittle is similar to pastelli we make in Greece but instead of pumpkin seeds we add nuts. The margarita sounds delicious.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Adding the bit of chipotle powder to the brittle is inspired - that looks just so good!

Arlene Delloro said...

OMG, I love brittle of all kinds, but the sunflower seed brittle really makes my mouth water. Of course, that jumbo cocktail ain't too shabby either. Great pairing!

The Blonde Duck said...

Perfect for Halloween!

Maria said...

Love the brittle! Great idea!