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Vanilla Spice Nuts 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 egg white 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon cardamom 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper 3 cups pecan halves or mix of unsalted nuts Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg white and vanilla with a wire whisk until foamy. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, all spice, cardamom, and red pepper. Add spice mix to the egg white mixture along with the nuts. Fold ingredients with a wooden spoon until nuts are coated and all ingredients are evenly distributed. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and remove pan. Toss nuts and break any large pieces apart, then return nuts to oven. Allow nuts to remain in the turned off oven for 10 minutes. Place nuts in a single layer on parchment paper or waxed paper to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes 3 cups. |
Party Time!
Praline Crunch
A major favorite around the holidays. Bring as a gift or munch on at home. Great all year round. 8 cups of firm cereal, such as Cherrios, Oatmeal Squares or Chex 2 cups pecan halves 1/3 cup dried cranberries Oil spray 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 4 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine cereal, nuts, and cranberries. Spray a 13 x 9-x 2-inch Pyrex baking pan with oil, and then pour cereal mixture into pan. Set aside. In a deep microwave safe bowl, combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter. Microwave mixture on high until boiling, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mixture will foam. (For stove top cooking, heat in a small saucepan until boiling, stirring occasionally.) Using potholders, remove mixture carefully from microwave. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda. Pour syrup over the reserved cereal mixture and stir gently to combine. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Spread crunch bits out on a sheet of waxed paper placed on a heatproof surface. Mixture will be very hot. When completely cooled, break up and place in a serving bowl or store covered until ready to serve. Makes about 10 cups. Rosemary Pecans This combination of seasonings is amazingly complimentary. Whenever I serve these nuts, I find my guests virtually licking the crumbs from the bottom of the bowl. Makes 3 cups 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter or margarine 1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 2 teaspoons seasoned salt 3 drops hot sauce 3 cups pecan halves Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter, and then stir in the rosemary, basil, salts, and hot sauce. Add the pecans and mix until coated. Spread pecan mixture on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in 325-degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until pecans are aromatic and slightly dried, but not burnt. Let cool and serve at once, or store in a tightly covered container. (from The Empty Nest Cookbook,/i> |
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