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anyone have a good recipe for candied nuts?

I'm thinking cinnamon & brown sugar pecans, etc. I get the general idea, but I like to have proportions for ingredients and baking times.

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Permalink Reply by mightyninjamom on September 23, 2009 at 6:32pm

Frenchy - I had the worst craving for this when I was pregnant with the little Miss. The proportions will depend on how spicy/sweet you want them. I wanted a very complex note in mine, so I used a lot of spices.

For one pound of pecan halves, I used one egg white and a little melted butter for a coating to make everything stick. (probably around a tablespoon or so.) I used about 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and the spices of my choice. It usually involved cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cloves and black pepper plus a teeny bit of salt. I wanted sweet with just a touch of heat. (Chili powder added a musty note I didn't want.) I toasted them at a very low heat (about 250 F) for about 30 minutes. I had them on a foil lined baking sheet, and I took them out about every ten minutes to toss them so they would toast more evenly.

There are a lot of recipes on epicurious, and probably elsewhere. I used these as a basis for making mine. Mine didn't have a shell-like coating like some candied nuts. It was more powdery, but I really enjoyed them.

If you decide to use brown sugar...just bear in mind that it holds more moisture than white sugar. I never tried using it, so I can't give you any advice there.

Permalink Reply by Mamawho on September 23, 2009 at 7:08pm

I make some with the egg whites and sugar, but with a little salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne.

There is another kind I make with a cooked frosting-like coating of sour cream and powdered sugar, but I can't find the recipe. I'll experiment in the kitchen and see if I can replicate it. It sounds weird, but it turns out like a glaze and is really yummy.

I've been wanting pralines and cajeta lately. But I really don't like making candy. I'm in a bad spot, because good luck finding either in the Mid-Atlantic. I may just have to brave the inevitable sugar burns and make the damn things.

Permalink Reply by sabine louise on September 23, 2009 at 8:24pm

Thanks, ladies! I'm hoping to find a spice mix I like and make them as gifts, either for the holidays or thank-yous for all the TLC that's been coming my way these past few months. If I can keep it together, I may do Kahlua truffles for Christmas, which i haven't made since the Dude was born.