Here's an easy party snack that does not take much time or effort, yet is absolutely addicting! These nuts are the perfect balance of spicy and sweet, and the brown sugar also adds a caramelized exterior that is texturally and visually pleasing. The secret "glue" that binds the nuts together in this recipe is the egg white, so make sure you do not skip it! These nuts are great as party snacks to keep your hungry guests at bay, but I also make a huge batch to snack on throughout the week or to munch on while I'm cooking. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Note: You can omit the rosemary or substitute with any other herb of your choice, but I think that the rosemary goes really well with the brown sugar and cayenne. You may also use any nuts that you have on hand.
ingredients:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg white
- leaves from 1-2 springs of rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 large egg white
- 2 cups nuts of your choice (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, etc), halves or whole
makes 6 servings
prep time: 5 min
cook time: 30-35 min (unattended)
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet. For easier clean-up, first line the sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Finely chop the rosemary leaves.
4. Mix the sugar, rosemary, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, gently beat the egg white to break it up. Add the nuts to the bowl, and coat them evenly in the egg whites. Add the sugar mix to the bowl, and coat the nuts.
6. Transfer the nuts to the baking sheet, letting the excess egg white drip off. Spread the nuts out evenly across the pan.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the nuts are browned and caramelized. Cool for 5 minutes, then break apart the nuts and let them cool completely.
Enjoy!
The nuts will keep for about 5 days at room temperature, well covered.