I have a deep love affair with nuts – hand me any type and I won’t say no. Pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts (technically not a nut but still…), pistachios, cashews, walnuts – all make me happy and a bowl in front of my face is not safe.
So you can imagine when California Walnuts asked if I wanted to sample their product, it was pretty difficult for me to say no. Walnuts have always been a favorite, even as a kid, that meaty taste that can easily transfer from sweet to savory.
One of my favorite ways to prepare nuts are to candy them – all over the streets of New York you have the vendors selling candied nuts. Anyone who has visited the city in the winter time knows what I’m talking about, that sweet sugary smell wafts off the sidewalk and it is nearly impossible to resist.
I wanted to make my own version, but ended up going a little spicier than sweet – still delicious and we ended up finishing this entire jar quite quickly!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces walnut halves
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white and water until frothy.
- Stir in the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin and cayenne pepper.
- Toss the walnuts until well combined and lay flat on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining half teaspoon over the walnuts.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the walnuts are toasted and have formed a crisp shell. Break up with a wooden spoon and let cool completely before storing in an air tight container.
It almost looks like you have chocolate chunks in there! looks so good! 🙂
Ahhh I love the smell of the candied nuts and I know these taste amazingggg!
Oh, we share your love of all things nuts! I always have one of those giant bags of Costco walnuts in the freezer and I candy them all the time for salads. Now, can you get these folks to send me a great big bag o’nuts? 🙂
I really need to come to New York. It sounds like the most amazing foodie destination! Plus, you’re there and you make candied nuts. I’m going to buy my plane ticket right now 😉