Baked Spiced Nuts
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄3 cup sugar
5 cups raw, unsalted nuts in large pieces (Whole almonds, walnut halves, or pecan halves work well)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300*F. Generously spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. (I used a sheet of aluminum foil on the baking sheet and sprayed that with cooking spray to make for easier cleanup.)
2. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat well with a fork of whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, salt and 1⁄3 cup sugar, and beat until blended.
3. Add the nuts and stir until they are thoroughly moistened. Let stand 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the nuts, plus any remaining liquid, to the prepared baking sheet, and push together into a single layer, so the nuts are touching, but not piled vertically. (It should be one large, flat mass.)
5. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to scrape the nuts and their coating from the bottom of the baking sheet, and rearrange everything, so nothing is sticking and the nuts get moved around a bit for even cooking.
6. Bake another 15 minutes, and then remove from the oven. If your taste runs sweet, you can sprinkle the nuts with 1 to 2 teaspoons additional sugar while they are still hot and on the baking sheet. Let the nuts cool completely on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a container with a lid for storage or just transfer them into your mouth.
Comments
Being a fan of Mollie Katzen I recently picked up a copy of Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less which includes recipes that she contributed. I found this recipe for spiced nuts and thought it would be great for an appetizer at a Game Day.
I made the recipe with a mix of pecans and almonds. Both were delicious but I think I might stick just to the pecans next time since the pecans were just transcendent.
I get some spiced nuts at the Ren Faire every year and, while I like them quite a bit, I find them to be a bit too sweet. The candy aspects tend to outweigh the nut characteristics that I enjoy. This recipe had a nice, light coating. It had the right amount of flavor and I’m extremely pleased with how they turned out.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture and they were all gone by the time I remembered. I have a feeling I’ll be making them again. Maybe for the holidays!
Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less