edamame brittle

I am not a candy maker. But I just had to try this recipe - especially since I'm going to a party tonight that includes a mountain of confectionery goodness.

If you're not aware of edamame, then let me educate you. Edamame is a type of soy bean that is the only vegetable that provides complete protein - yep all of the amino acids are there. Anyway, we usually buy them frozen from Sam's Club. You nuke the little pack of blanched beans in their pods and then toss them with some sea salt. Delicious.

But here's the cool thing. You can use them as a substitute for peanuts and make a super tasty brittle. In contrast to peanuts, which are high in fat, edamame a low fat, high in fiber and protein of course. So although you still use a boat load of sugar, the nutritional value is very high.

Here's Alton Brown's recipe from Good Eats - The little bit of cayenne adds a great kick - the perfect balance of nutty, sweet, salty, and savory...


Ingredients

* 7 ounces dry roasted edamame
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 pound 6 ounces sugar
* 12 ounces water

Directions

Place the edamame, soy sauce, cayenne pepper and salt into a small mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Line a half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.

Place a 3-quart saucier inside a large cast iron skillet. Add the sugar and water to the saucier, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the sugar is a light amber color, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the edamame mixture. Working quickly, pour the mixture onto the prepared half sheet pan and spread thin with an oiled spatula. You will have to work quickly when pouring out and spreading the mixture in the pan. Cool completely, approximately 30 minutes, and then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.