« Mud Pies | Cucumber sandwiches on Boxing Day »
When I moved out to Maryland, I invented a scheme whereby I make buckets and buckets of tasty spiced nuts to send off to all my friends hither and yon. Because I am a schlub and because I am always swamped with work until right before Xmas, they usually end up being New Year presents, but I'm just hoping that if I do the same dorky thing long enough, it will become tradition and people will be disappointed if I don't. In any case, the nuts are insanely delicious, and they look most charming stuffed into their brown tin tie bags.
The recipe is forgiving, the combination of flavors addictive, and the quantities generous. I generally make as many batches as I can stand, cycling more nuts in until each batch of coating is all used up (it tends to puddle at the bottom). One batch of coating generally covers about 6 cups of walnuts and/or pecans. The key to success is using baking parchment, which is the only way to preserve both the nuts and your sanity. With the parchment, however, it's a snap.
INGREDIENTS
Lots of walnuts, pecans, or a mix of the two
2 egg whites
1 T. olive oil
3/4 c. white sugar
2 t. salt
2 t. garam masala
1 T. paprika
1 t. hot sauce (I use Tuong Ot Sriracha, aka Magic Rooster sauce)
1 t. soy sauce
baking parchment (VERY IMPORTANT)
TO DO
1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Beat egg whites in a very large bowl until foamy, but not holding a peak. Add other ingredients, except for the nuts. The result will be a reddish brown, slimy goo.
3. Add as many nuts as will comfortably fit in the bowl and mix very thoroughly with your hands or a wooden spoon.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Spread the nut mixture on this sheet in a single layer. Add more nuts to the bowl and coat them until all the mixture is used up--you'll probably need a couple of sheets to accomodate all the nuts.
4. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Remove from oven and slide parchment and nuts onto the counter to cool. When they are COMPLETELY cool, and not before, break the clusters apart and store in an airtight container.
all breads | breakfast | dinner reports | drink | eating out | essays | etcetera | lunch | news | recipes | salads | snacks | soups | sweets | tips | travel | vegetables | weekly meals |
