Spiced Holiday Nuts
I make these nuts every year for Christmas, and the fan club grows with each passing year. I include them in little ribbon-tied plastic bags in the tins with other home-made Christmas goodies, but I also have plenty of extras for the table after Christmas dinner.
It’s nice to know that they’re a bit healthier than some of the holiday treats that we splurge on during the holiday season. Best of all, they are very fast and easy to make.
I first learned the recipe one year when a friend gave them to me as a gift.
Ingredients:
1 egg white You can use the equivalent in reconstituted egg white powder.
1/2 pound raw nuts I generally use pecans or walnuts. Almonds or hazelnuts might also be nice. (Don’t use nuts that are already roasted or salted.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice You can mix your own, using ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl or mug, thoroughly mix the brown sugar and spice.
3. In a large bowl, whip the egg white until it’s frothy.
4. Add the nuts to the bowl and toss them to coat with the egg white.
5. Gradually add the sugar-and-spice mixture, continuing to toss for even distribution.
6. Spread the pecans out on the lined cookie sheet, so that they’re spread out evenly.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Watch carefully and remove them from the oven when they start to brown.
8. Remove from oven and slide the paper with the nuts onto a flat, cool surface or baking rack to cool. You might have to separate them after cooling.
9. Once they’re cool, you can serve or store them in an airtight container.
