Sweet & Spicy Pecans
WARNING: By the end of the Holiday season, you will have eaten 88lbs of these nuts…or gone broke because everyone you know will ask you to make these nuts for them. But…it’s all worth it. My husband and I make these as Christmas gifts for our neighbors every year, it’s our tradition. The truth is- we make twice the amount we actually need because we physically can’t stop snacking on them! They’re not only good for the holidays, they’re great on salads or on top of ice cream. You can use them for baked goods, too! The vanilla bean sugar gives these pecans the perfect amount of sweetness while the ginger adds just the right kick of spice, perfect all around. Make these, package them in cute little gift bags or gift boxes with some ribbon and your neighbors will LOVE them (as long as they aren’t allergic to nuts!)
*recipe from Savory Spice Shop
Ingredients List:
- 1 lb raw pecan halves
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup spiced vanilla bean sugar (we got ours from Savory Spice Shop)
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 TBSP vanilla (real extract, not imitation)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, vanilla bean sugar, nutmeg, ginger and salt. In a small bowl, beat egg white and vanilla until fluffy. Pour pecans into a large double gallon ziploc bag and spoon egg white mixture over nuts, toss until well coated. Add sugar mixture to bag and shake/toss until all nuts are covered and most of the sugar has adhered to the pecans. Spread nuts evenly on baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring pecans every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before serving/storing.
Live Cooking Demo
The Cocktail
Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Old Fashioned
For the spiced cranberry syrup:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup mulling spices (cinnamon, star anise, cloves)
- 1 orange, including rind
For the Old Fashioned:
- 1 oz spiced cranberry syrup
- 2 dashes bitters
- 2 ounces bourbon
- splash of club soda/sparkling water
- ice
To make the spiced cranberry syrup: In a medium saucepan, bring water, sugar, cranberries, mulling spices and orange to a gentle boil. When sugar dissolves and cranberries begin to burst, remove from heat and let ingredients cool. Strain.
To make the Old Fashioned: Add ice to glass. Add cranberry syrup, bitters, and bourbon, stir. Top with club soda. Garnish with orange twist and cranberries.
Final Say
This is the BEST SPICED COMBO! Make these pecans and this old fashioned for your holiday cocktail get-together and you’re all set! The recipe is super easy to double, triple, quadruple….and you’re going to want to.