Saturday, November 16, 2013

Spiced Pecans


There are a ton of recipes out there for Spiced Pecans, but this is one of my favorites, and the first of several posts I'm doing for "gifts in jars" for the holidays!

They are spicy and sweet with a little "kick" of heat! Bring them as a hostess gift, or use them as an addition to any party or gathering as a little something to snack on. And you know pecans are good for you too!

These will keep several weeks in a well-sealed mason jar, or a few months stored in a zip-top bag in your freezer. Then simply grab out a bag when you want some.

RECIPE
Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided          
1/2 tsp. cayenne (or 1 tsp. if you want them very spicy) 
1 tsp. each ground white pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice     
4 cups pecan halves (about 12 oz.)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup regular maple syrup   

Method
Heat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, toss together 1 tsp. salt, cayenne, white pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Add the pecans and toss well. Drizzle the melted butter over the pecans and mix well. Turn out onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray, scraping any spices and butter from the bowl and spreading the nuts into one layer.

Bake until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle the maple syrup over the nuts, stir to combine, and return to oven to bake about 10 minutes longer, until the nuts turn glossy and slightly dark.

Remove from oven and stir slightly; let the nuts cool in the pan for 30 minutes and then scrape the nuts and any maple drippings into a bowl; break up any large clusters. Serve immediately dusted with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt (if desired).

Store in mason jars or place in zip-top bags and freeze.

Yield:  4 cups

Disclaimer: The samples in this post were provided by Schermer Pecans. All opinions are my own.

Health benefits of Pecans

Enjoy,

Mary

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