Holiday Goodies: Spiced Nuts
We know it’s Christmas Eve, but we always leave just a few things to the last minute around here. Luckily, some of the tastiest treats can be made in a manner of minutes! There’s nothing better than hot spiced nuts, and we love to whip up a batch to go with gifts, coffee and hot chocolate after our Christmas Eve feast.
Our recipe is really quite simple, but the beauty of this sweet, nutty treat is that we always have the ingredients on hand. Plus, everyone enjoys them!
Start out by pouring about 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of white sugar into a saucepan. Add about a teaspoon of spices or flavorings to this mixture. You can choose the seasoning based on your personal tastes. Some of our favorites are cinnamon, cocoa powder, Chinese five-spice powder and apple pie spice.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Once it’s boiling, add about 2 cups of nuts. Traditionally, we use raw almonds in this recipe. However, other delicious choices include Georgia pecans, unsalted roasted cashews and unsalted roasted macadamia nuts. Choose your favorite, and we guarantee it’ll be delicious!
Raise the temperature to high heat and stir the nuts constantly until all the liquid cooks away and you’re left with a dry, sandy sugar
mixture. Adjust the heat to low and keep stirring until the nuts are coated with a shiny, sweet layer of sugar. Add an additional 1/3 cup of sugar to the pot, along with a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract if desired, and stir to combine. When the sugar starts to stick to the nuts, remove the pot from the heat and dump the nuts in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined tray.
Use a spoon to handle the nuts until they cool, as the sugar on their surface can cause severe burns. Serve them slightly warm or cool them completely and store them in an airtight container.
See? Easy!
What are some of your favorite last-minute holiday treats?
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