Spiced Nuts

Spiced Nuts.  Doesn't everyone love spiced nuts? No, this is not a "that's what she said" joke, but rather a very tasty, crunchy, candied appetizer.  I made these spiced nuts several weeks ago to compliment the appetizers at Lydia's surprise birthday party, and they were a big hit.  Once you start snacking, you just can't stop!

Plus, the recipe is incredibly easy--melt down your ingredients, stir in your nuts, spread on a cookie sheet, and bake in the oven until crispy and delicious.  And...well, that's what she said.

Spiced Nuts
This recipe is a concoction of my own desire for sugary, salty yummyness.  Although not necessarily peanut brittle (there isn't nearly enough caramel), it does have a candied crunch that sticks to many of the nuts when cooled.  Plus, most of us have these ingredients in our kitchens already, so it's easy, fast, and rather economic to make.

*1 16 oz package of pecans or walnuts
* 1 stick butter, salted
* 2 tablespoons cinnamon
* 1 tablespoon nutmeg
* 1/3 cup sugar

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.  Now, begin by melting the butter in a saucepan.  Stir in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and whisk to integrate fully.
2.) Turn off heat and sprinkle in nuts.  Stir to integrate so that nuts are completely coated with sugary buttery mixture.
3.) Spread nuts over a standard, ungreased cookie sheet.
4.) Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the nuts are sizzling in the oven.  Actually, a good rule of thumb is a saying that one of my family friends always says, "The Nose Knows!"  Basically, if you can smell the nuts cooking in your house at around 10 or 15 minutes, they're done.
5.) Remove from oven when the "nose knows" and allow to cool for about five minutes.  You'll want to remove the nuts from the pan and transfer into a serving dish/tupperware while the candied coating is still warm enough to break up fairly easily.  If you let the nuts cool completely, you're gonna have some very dangerous scraping business ahead of you--although some nuts may come off pretty easily, others will be stubborn and literally GLUED to the pan.  This is not only a pain in the butt to detach, but also a great opportunity to lose your nuts...that's right...lose your nuts.  Too much scraping and sticking and before you know it, you'll have nuts flying all over the kitchen.  Unfortunately, since these nuts come in a candy-ish coating, they cannot be salvaged with the five second rule.  Otherwise, you'll have family and friends wondering why your nuts are covered in dog hair.

And on that note, did I mention that nuts in dog hair are not tasty? Also, did I mention that nuts covered in candied cinnamon are clearly delicious? Enjoy!


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