HOLY MOLE PECANS

1 large egg white (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups raw pecan halves
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place egg white in large stainless steel bowl and whip until frothy. Whip in vanilla, then gently add pecans and toss until completely coated with mixture.

Place remaining ingredients in a medium-size bowl and toss until well combined. Add sugar-cocoa mixture to pecans, a quarter at a time, and very gently toss until well coated. Transfer pecans to prepared sheet and arrange in a single layer. Try to not let pecans touch each other.

Bake 30 minutes. Gently turn over nuts and continue to bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until coating is lightly colored and dried out, about 1 hour and 15 minutes total.

Remove from oven. Immediately loosen nuts with a metal spatula and set aside to cool before serving.

These pair well with a White Russian or a coffee liqueur such as Ta Mara. Use them also to top hot fudge sundaes made with coffee, vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch or orange ice cream.

Makes 2 cups
Source: Party Nuts!: 50 Recipes for Spicy, Sweet, Savory, and Simply Sensational Nuts that Will Be the Hit of Any Gathering by Sally Sampson