A Southern Grace: these spices have been nutted!

March 25, 2013

these spices have been nutted!

Yum


There are very few foods that cause me to completely lose control, but come on--we all have 'em. The latest addition to that short list is candied nuts. I could sit down with a bag of those and just eat. And eat.


And eat.

There are several cons to this type of behavior, of course, but one of the foremost is that those suckers are EXPENSIVE. Nuts alone are costly, but when they're glazed, the price becomes exorbitant. So, I'm learning to pace myself, not only for the good of my waistline, but also for the good of my wallet.

I first realized just how tasty candied nuts can be when I received a jar of them as a Christmas gift from my little brother and his little lady. They made the nuts themselves! After I had polished off that jar, I set out to buy some more, saw the price tag, and quickly changed my mind. Plan B was to make my own, but my first batch (made using a random recipe found online) just wasn't as good as that Christmas gift. Fortunately, my brother was happy to share his source for the recipe, and that is what I've posted below, with a few tweaks.


Crunchy but not hard, a little bit salty and with a perfect amount of sweetness, I think you'll find that this recipe delivers an exceptional and addictive snack.

Cinnamon Glazed Nuts
Adapted slightly from smitten kitchen
Ingredients:
  • 1 egg white, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pound walnut halves, pecan pieces, cashews, almonds, or some combination thereof
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, vigorously whip the egg white and water until frothy but not stiff, about a minute. Mix in the sugars, salt, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps. Add the walnuts and stir to coat evenly. Spread the sugared nuts in a single layer on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven and separate nuts as they cool. They may want to stick to the foil, but don't let them. When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl or plastic ziplock bag, breaking up any that are determined to stick together.

26 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Divine and addictive!

Cheers,

Rosa

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Candied nuts are definitely a sweet indulgence we can make at home.

Alicia Foodycat said...

I am such a sucker for nuts! These look like really good ones with a nice layer of flavours.

Velva said...

I would have the same problem with candied nuts! They would not last long, and I would be 5-lbs heavier (smile). Good that you have self-control and can pace yourself.

Happy spring!

Velva

Caroline Taylor said...

Ooooh, these sound SO good. Don't think I could stop!

Erica said...

I love candied nuts and I like adding chili powder to mine and they are a wonderful treat!

Marjie said...

My favorites have to be candied peanuts or almonds. And I tell myself that they're healthy, so I'm allowed to eat as much as I want...

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Hehe I'm nut for candied nuts too! :D And yes I can't stop eating them, they're like crack for those who have errm never tried crack! :P

Juliana said...

Yes Grace...I am totally addicted to these kind of nuts.
Have a great week :)

Betty said...

I do love these things! They are totally addictive and I tell myself they're good for me because they're nuts, right?

Carolyn Jung said...

The sweet! The crunch! No wonder these nuts are so addicting. Can never stop at just one. ;)

Katerina said...

I, too, can eat a bag of these if I don't have someone to stop me! They are perfect!

Barbara said...

Not a sweet nut eater...but my daughter is. She loves them. Definitely will try this when next she comes home.
A little cinnamon never hurts! :)

Joanne said...

I can't even be alone in a room with candied nuts because I love them so much!!!

Nutmeg Nanny said...

Candied nuts are the ultimate addicting indulgence! I love the idea of making them myself :)

Sugar & Spice & All Things ? Nice said...

Oh sooo good looking. I too would not stop until the bag was empty. Unfortunately I have a serious allergy to nuts, so will have to wait til my next life time to try this one!!LOL!

Von said...

I'm not a huge fan of nuts but I must agree- candied nuts are too easy to lose control over!! These nuts looks dangerously addictive......must keep this recipe out of my sight!! :D

I Wilkerson said...

I absolutely love candied nuts but have never made them. These look great!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I am addicted to them also, made some this week and my son and I fought for the last one :)

Lynda said...

Oh boy, I'd love these. In fact I just finished a handful of raw almonds.....I must make your version with the remainder... Very yummy Grace!

Lisa said...

Candied nuts are a real treat! And so easy. I like a little chili pepper in mine.

vanillasugarblog said...

I agree, I love candied nuts.
BUt I always have to add some heat to them.
Have you tried the sweet & spicy pecans from Trader Joe's? So good!

Blond Duck said...

I'm with you girl. I have no willpower with candied nuts or peanut butter.

Joanne said...

I'm on the same page when it comes to candied nuts. I haven't yet made them because of the fear of how dangerous it will be for my waistline...but I just need to do it. My credit card begs me.

Gloria Baker said...

delicious and yummy!

Laura said...

Yum. I love them in salads.