Nuts About...Nuts!

I really love nuts. I definitely understand what the big deal is regarding food allergies, but it saddens me that I can't send my son to school with a good old fashion PB&J (and while I do share an affinity for sunbutter, please don't even try to convince me that it's "just like peanut butter").

We try not to overindulge in nuts too much here. Despite the fact that they have lots of excellent nutritional benefits (essentially fatty acids, rich in protein, fiber & folate, etc...) they are also high in fat, so we do our best to reign in our penchant for them. However, since the holidays rolled around, I could think of nothing better than whipping up a batch of spiced mixed nuts.

They're easy, delicious and a great departure from all the baked goods that find their way into my house around the holidays. I never use the same recipe twice, and find myself combining a few different recipes  into one that works for me. My inspiration for this batch came from a crazy combination of Emeril, Martha Stewart & Whole Foods.

I started off with a variety of nuts: Pecans (my favorite!), walnuts, almonds, filberts, and cashews. All of them were raw to begin with. I used a total of 8 cups of nuts total - breaking them up into two batches. Then I gathered my spices:

I went with brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, chili powder & some cumin(not pictured).

For each batch, I whipped up a couple of egg whites until they were white and frothy, then added the nuts to them.

Once the nuts were all coated and glistening, I coated them in my spice mix. Now, if you're looking for exact measurements, you're not going to find them. The best part about making spiced nuts is that you can always change up how you make them.

I'll do my best to give you the approximation, however. I went with a generous 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 3 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1.5 teaspoons of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, and 3 teaspoons of salt.

Spiced nuts - pre baking

Preheat your oven to 300* and then bake for about 45-50 minutes. It is crucial that you keep an eye on the nuts and stir them every 10 minutes or so (more towards the end). You really don't want these to burn, and they can do so quickly, especially as they finish up.

Spiced nuts - done!

Let them cool off for a bit before you do anything with them. I still make the mistake of trying to taste them right when they get out and end up with a scalded tongue each time. But, it's really hard to resist when they come out smelling so fantastic.

I ended up packing them up in some Ball jars and have been giving them out as holiday treats to friends and family. These spiced nuts really are incredibly easy and fun to experiment with. I've found that unless you burn them, it's hard for them to not come out well. So, if you try these out, enjoy!

Do you have any favorite holiday-esque foods that you make/give/receive?