Sesame Ginger Brittle

I love peanut brittle.

I love ginger.

I have no aversion to sesame seeds, and in fact, it's my favorite type of bagel.

So when I saw Martha's Stewart's recipe for ginger-seasame brittle in her holiday edition of Living magazine last year (or maybe the year before?), I knew I would have to make it.

I covet Martha Stewart's food stylists.

Thus started my hunt for reasonably priced sesame seeds.

I hunted for more than a year. Obviously I wasn't hunting very hard. But all I kept finding was the small bottles in the spice aisle, and those are ridiculously over-priced.

I finally found a bag at a reasonable price in the bulk food aisle at Jungle Jim's Eastgate. Near the oatmeals, rices and flours, behind the tea aisle. It was so much more affordable! I think I paid less than $3 for a half pound instead of $6 for a little jar.

So, I went to make the brittle. I had already purchased a candy thermometer for the fudge, so I'd be able to get it to the right temperature without a problem. I roasted the sesame seeds first, chopped the ginger while that was happening, and got all the other ingredients together so I wouldn't be scrambling while the substance was boiling. I do so hate that.

Then I followed the directions, brought it all to a boil, let it boil and boil and boil until it FINALLY got to the right temperature, and then followed the directions some more.

I didn't have the parchment paper just on the counter top to pour the brittle out all free-form and what not. No, I put the parchment paper on a cookie sheet and poured it that way.

Then let it set for quite a while. I don't even remember how long, I just know I wanted it to harden and I didn't want to burn my fingers.

Eventually I came around, broke it up, packaged it up for gift-giving. And, of course, eating.

Turns out, I don't care for it so much. I don't mind the ginger giving it a bit of spice. I dislike the smokiness that toasting the sesame seeds created. I don't care for smokiness in general, I just had no idea toasting seeds would have such an affect.

I didn't hear any rave reviews. I won't be making this again.

Now I just need to figure out what to do with all those sesame seeds.