Kozinaki (Sunflower seed brittle) (Georgian-Armenian-Russian)

Almost every culture knows some form of caramel nut brittle, since it's a dessert so easy to love and so convenient to snack on once a batch is made. 
But in the Eurasian region, their general love for sunflower seeds (and for walnuts, as a side note) manifested itself into these flavorful treats.
I, as an Eastern European, love sunflower seeds on almost anything, from Turkish-style simits to breads and salads. 

So  was happy to discover the recipe for kozinaki treats, and amused to see how their name resembles the name of a Romanian brioche-like dessert so well (see my recipe for cozonac). Sometimes I noticed the name is spelled gozinaki instead of kozinaki, but it's almost the same thing.
Still, besides the very similar name, the two types of dessert (the Romanian cozonac) and these sunflower seed brittle logs really have nothing in common.

They are not very complicated to make, they just require you to be comfortable with hot caramel and using a candy thermometer. Once made, they're super delicious to snack on, so ho ahead and try them.
Recipe adapted from here, here and here.

Last year: nothing.
Two years ago: nothing.
Three years ago: nothing.
Four years ago: Everyday muesli chocolate cake.
Five years ago: Tex-Mex turkey and guacamole burgers.
Six years ago: Mint and pine sauce (raw vegan).
Seven years ago: Brussel sprouts, poppy-seed and emmentaler gratin.
Eight years ago: Fried turkey pieces with rosemary, thyme, lemon and green garlic, Rosemary baked potatoes with green garlic, Three-cheese pasta with rucola, hazelnuts and sesame.



Ingredients (for a small batch):

• 75 g sunflower seeds
• 15 g sesame seeds
• 90 g honey
• 20 g brown sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

In a heavy bottomed pan, combine all ingredients and stir constantly until the mixture is well combined, toasted and all the sugar is melted.

Prepare a greased baking pan before roasting, since the brittle hardens very quickly.

Spread the mixture in a thin layer on the greased plate while it’s still hot.

Allow it to cool down completely (about 1-2 hours) and then crack it into bite size pieces or cut while it’s still slightly warm (that's what I did). 

You can store the kozinaki in an airtight container for a very long time, but trust me, they won't last you that long because they're delicious.