Ginger Brittle Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast sesame seeds on a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet until pale golden brown, about 13 minutes.
• Coat another 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and butter to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees. Remove from heat, and stir in sesame seeds, ginger, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour onto coated baking sheet, and spread into an even 1/2-inch-thick layer. Let coolcompletely. Cut into pieces.

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring sugar, honey, and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees. Remove from heat, add baking soda, and stir once with whisk, just until incorporated. Gently pour mixture onto baking sheet without spreading. Let cool. Break into pieces.

Steps:

• Grease a large baking sheet with butter.
• Mix sugar and honey together in a large microwave-safe glass bowl; mixture will be very thick. Place in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute. Stir, and cook 1 minute more. Stir mixture again, and cook until mixture boils and sugar is dissolved, an additional 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Stir walnuts into the bowl with the sugar mixture. Heat in the microwave another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in butter, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Microwave until mixture is caramel in color, an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
• Carefully remove bowl from microwave, and quickly stir in baking soda until incorporated. Immediately pour mixture onto the buttered cookie sheet. Allow to cool until brittle is set, about 15 minutes. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Make custard:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place three 4-inch-diameter fluted flan dishes* in each of two 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pans or place six 3/4-cup ramekins in 1 pan. Mix cream, sugar and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain into large measuring cup.
• Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes. Pour enough hot water into pans to come halfway up sides of dishes. Carefully transfer pans to oven.
• Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 minutes for fluted flan dishes and 35 minutes for ramekins. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• Make Crème Brûlée:
• Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each custard. Working with 1 custard at a time, hold blowtorch** so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes.
• Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours so that topping doesn't soften. Garnish crème brûlées with fruit.
• *Four-inch-diameter fluted clear glass flan dishes are available at cookware stores and many hardware stores. They are about 2/3 inch deep and hold about 1/2 cup liquid.
• **Available at some cookware stores.

Steps:

• Pour the sugar into a small, heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Watch the pan constantly throughout the entire cooking process. When the sugar begins to melt, stir occasionally with a fork.
• Add the ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar is melted (the candied ginger will not melt) and the mixture is a deep amber color.
• Immediately remove from the heat and pour the mixture onto a buttered sheet pan. Let cool and harden, about 30 minutes. Chop the brittle coarsely with a large knife. Eat plain, or serve over ice cream.