Rosemary Macadamia Nut Brittle

This nut brittle. Oh, geez. Look, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.

This nut brittle is so deliriously good. You’ll need to hide it from yourself. You’ll do the obvious and stick it in the freezer, only to discover, after furiously pawing beyond stacks of edamame and frozen rice, that this brittle stays delightfully crunchy and chewable when still frozen.

Yes, I must apologize for this brittle. If you make it, you will surely need an intervention to keep from eating every. last. crumb.

And when I say an intervention, I mean a real honest-to-goddess intervention. With cameras following you around for a week, in the name of shooting “a documentary about homemade candy.” At the end of the week, you’ll walk into a conference room at your local Holiday Inn, greeted by your family and their guilty tear stained faces.

You’ll be a little embarrassed, because you “kinda knew” but you “kinda didn’t” and the “kinda didn’t” part of you decided to forgo a shower that morning and thusly the “kinda didn’t” part of you is sticky-crusted with buttery, sweet nut brittle crumbs. It’ll be a real shit show, I tell ya’.

Unless you make this and share it immediately with as many people you can find. Maybe you’re going to yet another bridal shower. Perhaps it’s a late summer backyard fling. Or you could try making some real friends at that summer beachhouse rental. Make some extra brittle and give it to the skinny bitch in the string bikini. She looks kinda hungry.

Whatever you do, make this. Just do. But be sure to share it. I won’t be held responsible for any visits to the Betty Ford clinic that result from this.

Rosemary Macadamia Nut Brittle
(Adapted from Food and Wine)

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup roasted, unsalted macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

In a large, heavy pot, combine the sugar, water, butter and corn syrup. Cook the mixture over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is golden, reaching 300 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Fold in the macadamia nuts and rosemary, working quickly to get the nuts evenly dispersed. Spread the brittle in a thin layer onto Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Allow the brittle to cool and break into pieces.

Yields approximately 2 pounds of brittle