Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/636897
Sweet Treats by the Sea from the Brittle Lady I n life, every day is a new beginning, and every treat is a new delight." So says Marsha Stephens, AKA "The Brittle Lady." Make no mistake: that's not "brittle" as in "fragile." That's brittle as in "peanut brittle." This lady is tough as taffy, but also as sweet as the con- fections she crafts. Born in Roswell, New Mexico, to a Chilean mother and a geophysicist/geologist father engaged in oil exploration, Stephens roamed the world, never staying put. But she bought her first-ever home in Carmel in 2004. "I've never lived anywhere as long as I've live here," she says. "I've lived an adventurous life; this is where I want to settle." Stephens was first exposed to brittle via a recipe acquired from her paternal grandmother. She remembers the reaction of a local at one of the far-flung locations of her childhood commenting on the confection: "This must be what America tastes like." The Brittle Lady sobriquet was bestowed on Stephens by the person- nel of the Monterey Coast Guard station. "I've always admired the Coast Guard," she says, and in fact, her son is a 12-year staff officer stationed in Alameda. "I started bringing brittle to them a few years ago," Stephens says. "It's always free." She is no stranger to the food business. Stephens owned a bakery in Hanford, run by her twin sister Martha. In 2013 the pair was preparing to open a bakery on Cannery Row when Martha died tragically. "My sister was a master at creating flavors," Stephens says. "When I'm working on new varieties of brittle, I always ask myself, 'What would Martha do?'" There are currently 30 flavors in the lineup, including peanut brittle, almond brittle (with chocolate and nuts) Limoncello, cinnamon-flavored Starburst, s'mores and orange blossom. "This is a fun business," Stephens says, "and I'm really good at it." The brittle can be found at the Tuesday Monterey Farmer's Market, and is available online at www.thebrittlelady.com. —Michael Chatfield SHORTCUTS NEIGHBORS 70 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 Marsha Stephens is known as "The Brittle Lady," due to her famous concoctions like peanut, almond, Limoncello, Starburst, s'mores and orange blossom brittles. Her grandmother provided her first recipe. Photo: Kelli Uldall "