Herbed, Spiced & Candied Nuts

Mixed nuts seem to have greatly increased in price over the last couple of years.  The brand name nuts cost a premium, and lower cost nuts seem bland.  In general, within the entire price range of cocktail nuts, they are too stale, soft, salty, flat, flavorless, oily, or just have far too many peanuts in the mix.

I looked up several recipes online for making home roasted nuts, and many were tasty, but not quite what I was looking for.  Often, the recipes were a bit too spiced, overpowering the taste of the nut mixture.  After a bit of playing with recipes, I came up with this mixture which is subtly herbed, spiced, and lightly candied.

Making your own toasted nuts, with raw ingredients, is not as expensive as buying premium brand prepared nuts, but is a bit more costly than buying the generic brands.  Raw nuts are available in bulk at most premium and specialty grocers, and the quality, crispness, and flavor of homemade roasted nuts are superior than any of the store bought brands.  These are fantastic with a glass of wine, and are a pleasant treat for entertaining.

Cooking tip: If you do not like peanuts, substitute raw pumpkin seeds.

Herbed, Spiced & Candied Nuts

Skill level:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Makes: 3 cups

Ingredients

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup of raw almonds

1 cup of raw cashews

1/2 cup of raw peanuts

1/2 cup of raw hazelnuts

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the corn syrup, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, water, salt, and pepper.
   
   
3. Add the nuts to the candy spice mixture. Stir gently with a rubber scraper to coat all of the nuts.
   
   
   
   
4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
5. Spread the coated nuts in roughly a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
   
   
6. Place nuts into the preheated oven, and cook for 7 minutes.
7. Remove nuts from the oven.
8. Using a spatula, stir the nuts, as the nuts on the outside edges of the baking sheet tend to brown quickly.
   
   
9. Place the nuts back into the oven for another 8 to 13 minutes, until cashews have reached a deep golden brown color.
   
   
10. Remove nuts from the oven, and allow to cool completely.
11. When nuts are completely cooled, break nuts apart with your hands, and place in an air tight container.