by David Leite
Makes 2 cups
These sweet and spicy nuts are addictive little snacks, so spread them around with care. The sugar and red-pepper flakes hit just the right balance of sugar and heat, making them a great accompaniment to drinks, especially Champagne.—David Leite
convert Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 egg white
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
2 cups mixed raw nuts of your choice
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300° (150°C). Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat with the cooking spray. Whisk the egg white until very foamy. Add the sugar, salt, cumin, and red pepper-flakes and whisk well. Stir in the nuts and coat well.
2. Spread the nuts in single layer on the cookie sheet. Bake until they’re a deep golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often. Remove the sheet from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Break up any clumps. (The sweet and spicy nuts be made a week in advance. Store in an airtight container.)
Recipe © 2009 David Leite. All rights reserved.
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Loved them! I have made this recipe with almonds and pecans (they really are addictive). I personally liked the pecans best, as there was more surface coated with sweet and spicy goodness. I also loved the added dimension of sea salt. This is going to be one of the goodies in my gourmet Christmas giveaways.
I love recipes such as this…great on it’s own. I am envisioning an elegant snack/hostess gift for a cocktail party but also versatile enough to be used as the foundation for other great things. I would love to use these to garnish a salad or to make into brittle/candy or even biscotti.
Oooo, these are good, very very good. I toss in some finely chopped rosemary as well just because I love the aroma! These vanish at parties when I serve them.
Made something very similar Sunday night—required for “Mad Me”n Cocktails. It’s the same recipe, but for the first time I added a scant shake of cinnamon, chili powder, and pepitas. Excellent.
This sounds so good—I plan to try out the recipe this week. Thanks so much. I just discovered your site and love it.
[Elsa Jacobson] An undiscovered gem in the oeuvre that is Leite’s Culinaria. I’m amazed this recipe doesn’t have dozens of loyal followers gushing—yet. These nuts are perfect, and perfectly unpredictable at the same time. Not too sweet, not too spicy, and with a little bit of mystery thrown in. A guest asked, “What’s the spice in the nuts?” and I smiled. The surprise is the cumin, adding just the right interest to the sweet of sugar and the spicy of the red pepper flakes.
I’ll agree that they could be a great accompaniment to drinks. I used them as an amuse bouche for brunch and they worked beautifully. A little nibble, better than the ubiquitous bread basket, and easy to alter as necessary to fit the mood of the occasion. The directions are simple and functional. The timing was perfect. I interpreted, “stir often” to be about every 5 minutes or so, and I found I had no clumps to break up after I removed the tray from the oven. David notes these can be made a week in advance and stored in an airtight container. At my house, they would never last that long! Whether made with a wide range of nuts or narrow, even with just one type of nut, these would also be a delicious hostess gift at any time of year.