Sweet, spice and everything nice
his recipe is one of my favorites to make and package up as a delicious food gift for friends, coworkers and neighbors. But there is a problem with this recipe. The problem is that you need to either make a double batch so you can eat half and still have some leftover, or you need to not eat any because once you start, you can’t stop! They are wildly addicting!
These pecans have it all – sweet, spicy, savory, salty and a great crunch. But that’s not even the best part. The best part of making these is that you likely have most of the ingredients in your pantry and the oven does all the work.
Simply toss the pecans with a whisked egg white and then combine with the dry spice mixture of sugar, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Pour onto a lined sheet pan and bake. Let cool and serve or store in an air tight container.
Cayenne pepper has a wide range of spice level so I recommend tasting it before deciding how much you want to add to achieve the right sweet and spicy balance.
Wrap in treat bags and tie with a festive ribbon for a fun food gift!
Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)
- 4 cups (about 12 ounces pecans halves), unsalted
- 1 egg white whisked
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Add the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and cayenne to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Whisk one egg white.
- In a separate bowl, combine pecans and egg whites, and gently toss until the pecans are evenly coated. Add in the sugar mixture, and toss until the pecans are coated in the spice mixture.
- Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Spread the mixture out in a single layer between the two pans. Bake for 20 minutes, flip left to right and then trade the trays in their oven positions for even cookings. Bake for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and let the baking sheet cool on a cooling rack until the nuts reach room temperature. Transfer them to an airtight storage container or individual packages.
