Los Fresnos Couple Master Art of Making Brittle

by Tony Vindell/LFN

Brittle lovers now have a place to get the sweet treat made right here at home.

Warren MacNelly and his wife, Marilou, are a Los Fresnos couple behind a business venture called Mac’s Brittle which they advertise as Sinfully Delicious.

Unlike the usual brittle people are accustomed to made of peanuts and pecans, the MacNellys went a lot farther to the point of making 33 different flavors of the hard candy.

Two of the many brittles they make have such ingredients as cayenne and habanero peppers. Others are non-spicy like a brittle with pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and vanilla.

”I have been making and selling brittles for a little more than three years,” Warren MacNelly said. “But my business finally took off to the point that is hard to keep it up with the demand.”

His wife said her husband is the fourth generation of a family making brittles though not to the extent Warren is doing today.

Today, his brittles are found in a number of restaurants in the Rio Grande Valley, including the New York Delis.

“I make them as needed,” he said. “I tried to keep a stockpile but people keep calling.”

Although he is the person behind the operation, his wife said she likes to experiment in the kitchen and helps her husband come up with different flavors.

Mac’s Brittle is one of dozens of vendors people can find in the Under the Stars Artisan Market held every month at Memorial Park.

The next Artisan Market is this Saturday, May 19th.