Skillet Pecans: Sweet or Savory

2 Tbsp butter or canola oil
2 cups raw, unsalted pecan halves (or almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, or walnuts)
Spice mix; pick any of the mixes below

In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter (warm canola oil). Add pecans (or other nuts). Stir 5-10 minutes until nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted. Combine the spice mix. Toss nuts with dry spice mix. Stir until well coated. Let cool on wax paper for 10 minutes.

Maple-Cayenne Pecans
Cook’s Notes: More popular at work than cinnamon-honey pecans. Tasty, sweet-hot, and only 5 ingredients!

Heat 4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) maple syrup and 2 Tbsp (1/8 cup) olive oil in a skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add 2 cups pecan halves. Stir 5 to 10 minutes until nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted. Combine 2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp red cayenne pepper. Toss glazed nuts with sugar mix.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with cooking spray. Spread pecans on prepared baking sheet, separating with fork, and leave to cool. Sprinkle nuts with additional salt, if desired. Keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
– Adapted from a review of Small Bites by Jennifer Joyce

Ginger Pecans
Add to 2 Tbsp melted butter: 1 Tbsp honey and 1 Tbsp vanilla.

Spice Mix: 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp salt.
– Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart (simplified)

Sweet Spiced Pecans
Add to 2 Tbsp melted butter: 1 Tbsp honey.

Spice Mix: 2 tsp sugar, 1-1/3 tsp Faith’s Special Spice Mix, 2/3 tsp ground cinnamon, 2/3 tsp kosher salt, 1/3 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/3 tsp ground ginger, and 1/3 tsp ground cumin.
– Adapted from a recipe by the Lee Bros.

Maple-Ginger Glazed Nuts

“Spicy Maple Walnuts” by Barbara Witt from Fine Cooking #48, pp. 62-63, was  reprinted in Best American Recipes. Barbara’s recipe is printed online at taunton.com. Although it was originally a walnut recipe, it is outstanding when used for pecans and cashews. It is one of my most-requested nut dishes. They are simply amazing.

Barbara says these are “Can’t-stop-eating-them nuts: buttery, spicy, and lightly sweet. These nuts continue to toast a bit from the intense heat of the glaze, so don’t overbake them.” Leave the ginger slices in the nut mixture.

Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans

Cook’s notes: These are on the sticky side, but they are very tasty.

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
Spice mix (see below)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Savory spice mix:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons good quality chili powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika

Heat oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the middle level. Line baking sheet with foil; coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and sauté, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized. Stir in cumin, chili powder and paprika. Add vinegar and cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt to taste.

Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from “The 150 Best American Recipes” compiled by Fran McCullough & Molly Stevens; original recipe from “New Tastes of Texas” by Stephan Pyles, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2003361643_pecans08.html

Best Recipe: Candied Curried Pecans

Cook’s Notes: I made these for our office Holiday Party and was pleased with the results. The honey makes a crisp glaze on the pecans, and the curry flavor melds perfectly with the nuts. I changed the methodology on the original recipe to avoid toasting the nuts for 40 minutes in the oven. The skillet method works just fine for these tasty pecans. I bagged up 2-oz portions for the party, and this recipe yielded 6 bags. Next time, I would double the recipe.

Spice mix:
1.5 teaspoons onion powder
1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
1.25 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon mild curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp (1/8 cup) butter
4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) honey
2 cups pecan halves (8 oz bag)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; lightly coat with cooking spray. Combine the spice mix ingredients in a small bowl to blend.

In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add pecan halves. Toast for 2 minutes. Add honey to the skillet, and stir well to combine. Cook over medium-high heat for another 4 minutes until mixture is foamy. Toss toasted pecans with dry spice blend. Stir until well coated.

Spread pecans on prepared baking sheet, separating with fork, and leave to cool. Sprinkle nuts with additional salt, if desired.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 2002 (link)

Tried and Liked: Thai-Style Glazed Cashews

I used the recipe in Donna Klein’s book, The Tropical Vegan Kitchen: Meat-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Dishes from the Tropics (link). I doubled the sugar-spice blend and used a 16-oz bag (3 cups) of lightly salted, roasted cashews. The sugar did not melt into a glaze in the same way that maple syrup or honey does, but these were a sweet-hot nut. With 1.5 tsp of red cayenne pepper, they were a little too hot for me. However, my coworkers at our Holiday Party were delighted.

For the party, I bagged 2-ounce portions. Recipe yield: 13 bags (2 oz each).

Notes on Nut Weights and Toasting Time

Shelled nut equivalencies in 1 lb (16 oz)

• Almonds          3 cups halves or 4 cups slivered (1 cup weighs 5 oz)

• Cashews          3 cups (1 cup weighs 5.3 oz)

• Hazelnuts        3.5 cups (1 cup weighs 4.5 oz)

• Pecans           4 cups of halves (1 cup weighs 4 oz)

• Pine Nuts        3 cups (1 cup weighs 5.3 oz)

• Walnuts          3.5 cups of halves (1 cup weighs 4.5 oz)

Adapted from http://www.seasonalrecipes.com/season/nuts.php

Time Chart for Toasting Nuts
Note: Buy cashews already roasted.

Heat oven to 350F. Place raw nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for…

• Almonds       12 to 15 minutes

• Hazelnuts     12 to 15 minutes

• Pecans        10 to 12 minutes

• Pine Nuts     10 to 12 minutes

• Walnuts       10 to 12 minutes

Adapted from the book Party Nuts! by Sally Sampson (Hardcover – Nov 25, 2002). http://www.amazon.com/Party-Nuts-Recipes-Sensational-Gathering/dp/1558322434

Saucepan method:

Place nuts in a heavy, ungreased skillet. Stir often over medium heat until golden brown.

Adapted from http://homecooking.about.com/cs/atozfoodindex/ht/toast_almonds.htm

Maple-Cayenne Pecans

Cook’s Notes: More popular at work than cinnamon-honey pecans. Tasty, sweet-hot, and only 5 ingredients!

4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) maple syrup
2 Tbsp (1/8 cup) olive oil
2 cups pecan halves
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp red cayenne pepper

Heat maple syrup and olive oil in a skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add pecan halves. Stir 5 to 10 minutes until nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted.

Combine sugar and cayenne pepper. Toss glazed nuts with sugar mix. Let cool on wax paper for 10 minutes. Separate nuts with a fork to keep them from clumping. Keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Adapted from a review of Small Bites by Jennifer Joyce

Best Recipe: Rum-Glazed Pecans

Cook’s Notes: These nuts are even better when cooled to room temperature. They are great eaten out of hand. Sally Sampson recommends serving them with orange slices, as a garnish on coconut cake, or sprinkled over ice cream sundaes. If you don’t want to use rum, the Ochef site says, “Rum is distilled from molasses or cane syrup, so your best bet could be a mixture of molasses thinned with pineapple juice or white grape juice.”

3 cups pecan halves
Heat oven to 350F. Spread pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly toasted.

Spice Mix

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Rum Glaze

3 Tablespoons dark rum
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1.5 teaspoon brown sugar
1.5 teaspoon unsalted butter

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make the spice mix, place the spices in a small bowl and mix to combine.

To make the glaze, place the glaze ingredients in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the toasted pecans to the saucepan and cook until they are well coated and the pan is almost dry, about 1 minute. Spoon the spice mix over the nuts, 1 tablespoon at a time, until they are well coated.

Transfer the pecans to the prepared sheet, separate with your hands or a fork, and let sit until completely dried, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Makes 3 cups.

Source: Recipe adapted from the book Party Nuts by Sally Sampson; the identical recipe was also posted by the Georgia Pecan Commission (link)

Best Recipe: Triple Garlic Almonds

Cook’s Notes: Makes 4 cups, and the recipe can easily be halved. “Pine nuts and hazelnuts are also great cooked this way,” says author Sally Sampson. She recommends adding these almonds to sauteed dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach. They would also make a great salad topper, instead of bread croutons.

4 cups raw whole almonds, skin on
2 T olive oil
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tsp garlic powder (I like Garlic Garni brand)
1 tsp garlic salt

Heat the oven to 250F. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil; lightly coat with cooking spray (or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper).

Place almonds, olive oil, minced garlic, and garlic powder in a medium-size bowl. Stir to coat the nuts evenly.

Transfer coated almonds to the prepared cookie sheet. Shake the sheet so the almonds are in a single layer.

Bake the almonds for 20 minutes until they begin to color. Stir nuts after 10 minutes. Make sure the minced garlic does not burn.

Transfer baked almonds to a double layer of paper towels to drain. Sprinkle the warm almonds with the garlic salt. Let almonds cool before serving.

Source: Adapted from the book “Party Nuts!: 50 Recipes for Spicy, Sweet, Savory, and Simply Sensational Nuts that Will Be the Hit of Any Gathering” by Sally Sampson (Hardcover – Nov 25, 2002).

Tamari Almonds

Cook’s Notes: These almonds taste even better once they have completely cooled down. Makes about 3 cups of delicious, savory almonds, which are great served with hummus and baby carrots.

16-oz bag unsalted roasted whole almonds (mine were from Trader Joe’s)
1/4 cup tamari (wheat-free soy sauce; preferably San-J)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (preferably Garlic Garni)

Place oven racks to divide oven into thirds. Heat oven to 300F.

Spread roasted almonds on an ungreased, rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

While the almonds bake, stir together tamari, sugar, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Stir together until sugar dissolves. Add hot almonds and stir until coated well. Let stand, stirring occasionally, at least 5 minutes (I let them sit almost 50 minutes and they turned out fine). Stir the marinated almonds well.

Coat the rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Return almonds to baking sheet with a slotted spoon, spreading them evenly. Discard any liquid remaining in bowl.

Bake almonds for about 5 minutes until they look dry and are toasted through. Be careful; the almonds will be quite hot. Remove baking sheet from oven and stir almonds to make sure they are not stuck to the sheet. Cool almonds completely on the baking sheet on a rack, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer cooled almonds to an airtight container.

Almonds keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks.

Source: Adapted from recipes by Gourmet (December 2006) and Frugal Veggie Mama