Recipe: Salted or Spiced Nuts

One way to salt nuts is to spread them out on a cookie sheet and put
them into a 350 degree oven until they start to get a little oily. Then
pour them into a bowl and toss with salt to your taste. Or, you can try
one of the spiced nut recipes posted below

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Title: Recipe(tried): Spiced Nut recipes...
Posted By: Judy/AZ
Date: August 29th 2000
Board: recipelink.com Cooking Club - Misc. Recipes and
Requests SUGARED SPICED NUTS

Active time: 10 min. Start to finish: 1 hr. (plus 1/2 hr.
cooling)
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
4 cups mixed salted roasted nuts (about 1 1/4 lb.)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Preheat oven to 250 F.

Whisk together egg white and water in a large bowl
until frothy and stir in nuts. Stir together sugar and
cinnamon and stir into nuts, coating well. Spread nuts
in a lightly buttered large shallow pan and bake in
middle of oven until dry, about 50 minutes. Cool and
break into bite-size chunks.
Cooks' note:
Nuts keep in an airtight container at room
temperature 5 days.

Makes about 4 cups
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CRISP SPICED NUTS

2 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons paprika (preferably Hungarian sweet*)
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds (about 1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (about 1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cups pecans (about 1/2 pound)
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and
cooled

* available at specialty foods shops and many
supermarkets
Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with salt
until very foamy and gradually beat in sugar,
Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and cayenne. Stir in
nuts and butter, combining well, and spread in a large
shallow baking pan.

Bake nuts in middle of oven, stirring every 10 minutes,
until crisp and golden, about 30 to 40 minutes. Spread
nuts on a sheet of foil and cool. Break up nut clusters.
Nuts may be made 1 week ahead and kept in an
airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 4 1/2 cups.
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SPICED MIXED NUTS

2 1/2 cups mixed whole almonds, raw cashews,
pecans and/or raw peanuts
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 F. Place mixed nuts in large bowl.
Heat vegetable oil in heavy small saucepan over
medium heat. Add chili powder and cayenne pepper to
taste and stir until aromatic, about 15 seconds. Pour
over mixed nuts. Add sugar and salt and stir to blend.
Transfer to baking pan. Bake until mixed nuts are
toasted, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Serve
warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 5 days
ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
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SPICED HOLIDAY NUTS

Offer these with cocktails before dinner, or sprinkle
them over holiday salads.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup walnut halves
3/4 cup pecan halves

Line baking sheet with foil. Lightly oil foil. Heat 2
tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium
heat. Add ginger, curry powder and cayenne pepper;
saut until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Stir in sugar and
honey. Add nuts. Stir until honey mixture is amber in
color and nuts are well coated, about 6 minutes.
Transfer nut mixture to prepared baking sheet. Working
quickly, separate nuts with spoon. Sprinkle with salt.
Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight
container at room temperature.)

Makes 1 1/2 cups.
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FIVE-SPICE CANDIED PECANS

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires
additional unattended time.

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan
and a 12-inch square of foil, keeping pan and foil
separate.
In a small heavy saucepan bring water to a boil with
sugar, five-spice powder, and salt. Stir in pecans and
simmer mixture, stirring, 1 minute. Immediately pour
mixture evenly into pan and with a metal spatula
spread pecans in one layer. Bake mixture in middle of
oven 8 minutes, or until pecans turn mahogany-colored
and most of liquid is evaporated. Immediately transfer
pecans with metal spatula to foil, keeping them in one
layer, and cool completely. (Pecans will continue to
crisp as they cool.) Break up any pecans that have
stuck together. (Candied pecans keep, in layers
separated by wax paper, in an airtight container,
frozen, 2 weeks.)

Makes about 2 cups.