Maple Curry Candied Cashews →

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Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Great holiday gifts or easy to make snacks. Be warned, these nuts are seriously addictive when combined with a good beer or an off-dry sparkling wine! Can you say “maple, curry, candied, cashews” fast three times?

Maple Curry Candied Cashews
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cashews

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • ½ teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or greased tin foil

  1. Place the maple syrup and nuts in a medium-sized bowl and toss until well coated. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to coat evenly. Transfer the nuts to the prepared sheet and arrange them in a single layer. Bake until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes.

  2. Remove from the oven, immediately loosen the nuts with a spatula, separate the clumps, and set aside to cool to room temperature before serving otherwise they won’t have a good crunch.

Adapted from http://www.eat-drink-smile.com/2010/12/spiced-macadamia-nuts.html

Chili Chocolate Pecans →

in
Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Here’s a recipe inspired by the magical Mexican mixture of chili and chocolate. Sweet, spicy, chocolaty, chewy, and crunchy, this nut mixture is great for celebrating the Holidays (or any time) and makes for a special home-made gift for friends and family. Enjoy these delectable snacks with your favorite sparkling wine, aperitif, or beverage. Holé Mole!


Chili Chocolate Pecans
Yield about 4 cups

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup dark brown sugar

  • ¼ cup cocoa powder

  • ¼ cup finely grated dark chocolate (I used unsweetened, but semi-sweet would work.)

  • 2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder

  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to kick-it-up-a-notch)

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 2-3 large egg whites

  • 4 cups (about 1 pound) pecans (or your nuts of choice)

  • 1/2 cup pepitas

  • ½ cup Craisins (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 300°F, position rack in the middle position, line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil, and grease lightly with oil or nonstick cooking spray.

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, salt, cinnamon, chili powder, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.

  2. In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg white until slightly foamy. Stir in the spiced sugar mixture until a smooth batter forms. (If the mixture is still dry add the third beaten egg white. You want a thick batter consistency.)

  3. Fold in the pecans and pepitas until evenly coated. Spread the glazed pecans in a single even layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until nuts are lightly toasted, about 30 minutes.

  4. If you include craisins, as soon as you remove the sheet pan from the oven sprinkle the craisins over and stir to mix in. (If you bake the craisins they will be overly chewy and tough.)

  5. Let cool, stirring several times to separate the nuts. Once cool, break up any remaining clumps and serve. Nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Adapted from:
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/12/mexican-spiced-chocolate-pecans-nuts-recipe.html