Have you ever woken in the wee morning hours (say, twoish) and for no reason known to man, beast, dietitian, whatever, your mind is preoccupied with something completely silly? Something that in the familiar light of day you would recognize as no big deal?
Last night, I began fretting about two things:
(1) Our new curtains don’t match the rest of the room.
(2) I ate the last of our spiced nuts yesterday.
Neither of those things will affect world peace, the Illini football team, or even whether Kristen and Rob will get back together. But they sure as heck interfere with sleep at 2 am.
Today, I quickly remedied (2). Behold, the easiest spiced nuts you’ll ever make! I’ve made these spiced nuts more times than I can count. They’re great for gifts, topping salads, and eating out of hand. Bake a batch just before a dinner party. Trust me, your guests will go nuts for these nuts. How else do you think I get people to come back to our house? 😉
*****
Bring ‘Em Back Super Spiced Nuts
Serves: As many as you want! For me, serves 1 (i.e. me).
Ingredients:
12 oz. nuts of choice (I almost always use pecans, but you can use just about anything, including a mix)
1 egg white
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon (you can also add nutmeg, allspice, mace, or pumpkin pie spice to change things up)
Pinch salt (optional; I don’t use it)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Whip egg white in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form.
Stir in nuts.
In a small bowl, stir together sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add to nuts and toss.
Spread in a single later on a greased on Silpatted baking sheet. Bake for 1.5 – 2 hours, stirring every half hour. Nuts are done when they are crisp (not mushy) and not tacky (meaning the egg whites are cooked through). Remove from oven and cool. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Bring ‘Em Back Super Spiced Nuts
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1.5-2 hours
Keywords: bake snack salad vegetarian low-sodium gluten-free nuts
Ingredients
- 12 oz. nuts of choice (I almost always use pecans, but you can use just about anything, including a mix)
- 1 egg white
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (you can also add nutmeg, allspice, mace, or pumpkin pie spice to change things up)
- Pinch salt (optional; I don’t use it)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Whip egg white in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir in nuts.
In a small bowl, stir together sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add to nuts and toss. Spread in a single later on a greased on Silpatted baking sheet.
Bake for 1.5 – 2 hours, stirring every half hour. Nuts are done when they are crisp (not mushy) and not tacky (meaning the egg whites are cooked through). Remove from oven and cool. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
I tend to eat these nuts by the small handful (see here, for example), but I also love to top salads with them.
Edited to add: Salad made from fresh baby spinach, spiced pecans, sharp sage cheddar, sliced mutsu apples, a drizzle each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Looks like (2) is no longer! As for (1), well …
Everything looks better in the light of day.
Happy Wednesday, dear reader!
Q: Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night to find yourself fretting about meaningless things?
Christa says
September 19, 2012 at 3:07 pmHello there! This salad looks amazing… Is that apple slices and cheese I spy under the spiced nuts? That salad would make for a fantastic lunch, do you mind sharing the recipe? Please, fantastic Jessie?
The idea of nuts combined with my favourite cinnamon is one I had never heard of before, but which I’m sure to try! Pecans go well with spices!
Cinnamon and nutmeg go very well with any meat (but not fish or vegetables) cooked in tomato sauce, and I always add them whenever I cook said meat in tomato sauce, so I can’t really associate this spice combination with anything other than that!
I let nothing come between me and my sleep. Sometimes, not even alarm clocks! I rarely wake up in the middle of the night unless I’m ill 😛
Jessie says
September 19, 2012 at 5:11 pmI sure will! I don’t think I’ve tried cinnamon and nutmeg in tomato sauce — I’ll definitely have to try it.
Three cheers for uninterrupted sleep!! 😉
The Candid RD (Gina) says
September 20, 2012 at 7:12 amFor me it’s actually having trouble falling asleep in the first place, due to those stupid things you can’t get off your brain (such as curtains, or that new rug that you just don’t know what to do with!). UGH!
Thanks for this great recipe. I have one that is very similar, but for some reason yours look SO MUCH tastier!!
Jessie says
September 20, 2012 at 10:56 amThanks, Gina! 🙂
One week to go!! Are you getting excited???
A Canadian Foodie says
September 20, 2012 at 8:44 amI have made this recipe and used Chinese 5 spice instead of the cinnamon – and they are freakin’ amazing! I used them in salad and at the end of a special meal with a cheese board. AMAZING. Thanks for reminding me as I need to make up a batch before the holidays!
XO
Valerie
Jessie says
September 20, 2012 at 10:56 amChinese 5 Spice is genius! I’ve only ever used it on roasted veggies, but I think it’s time to branch out. Thanks, Valerie!
Lucy says
September 20, 2012 at 11:05 amI’ve had to stop eating nuts by the handful because I inevitably eat waaaaay too many…and then I can’t sleep at night haha 😉 I still use them as delicious toppings though…salads, parfaits, oatmeal, etc. everything tastes more delicious when sprinkled with roasted (or spiced!) nuts 🙂