Sweet & Spicy Mixed Nuts

I have been wanting to make a homemade version of spiced nuts for more than a few years now. My mom loves nuts, especially cashews, and for a long time I would stop at a kiosk at the mall and buy the cinnamon-dusted almonds and cashews to put in her stocking. The last year or two, however, I haven’t seen that kiosk and they have been missing. I knew that it would be simple to make at home, but never made the time to do some playing around to see what I liked. Well, after a week of nothing but sweets and four holiday meals in the course of two days, I thought it might be a good time to do some experimenting with savory snacks, especially since New Year’s is right around the corner. These nuts take about 10 minutes to make and are deliciously addicting.

They are mostly spicy, but have a sweet undertone, which is the perfect balance. I used pecans and walnuts here, but you could easily substitute any combination of your favorite nuts – cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts… whatever tickles your fancy. A great snack with a nice kick!

I love the idea of putting a bowl of these nuts out for guests to munch on alongside appetizers, or during a cocktail hour. You could also put them in a little clear bag, tie with a ribbon and bring them, along with a bottle of wine, as a hostess guest if you are going to someone else’s place for New Year’s Eve (or any other party for that matter).

Sweet & Spicy Mixed Nuts

prep 5 mins

cook 15 mins

total 20 mins

A simple snack of sweet and salty mixed nuts.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups mixed nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). In a large bowl toss together the nuts you're using to evenly mix, then spread them out on a large baking sheet and toast for 10-12 minutes.
2. In a separate large bowl toss together the spices, sugar, salt, rosemary, and melted butter. Add the toasted nuts to the bowl and toss well to evenly coat. Serve at once or store in an airtight container until needed.

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