Week 1 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats: Candied Spiced Nuts

Welcome to this years edition of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats (12WOCT). This will be my third year participating and its always been heaps of fun. Christmas is my most favorite time of the year. I wait very eagerly all through the year for it. For the past two years I've posted recipes both old and new, some all time favorites and some that have joined that league right from the get go. This year I want to do something a little different. I'm hoping to make and post about treats and recipes that are a little out of my comfort zone, stuff I've never tried before.

This brings me to my first post for the year. I decided to 'go nuts' right at the start ;) I've always loved these little munchies, either plain roasted or spiced, but have never tried making them at home. So I decided it was the perfect time to give these a go. And am I glad I did! These candied nuts are so easy to put together. With  minimal time and effort you can whip up a batch of this and I know I'm going to add these to my platters of goodies that I'll be sending out to friends and family this year. I'll probably use some festive cellophane packing and dress it up with a little bow. I'll try and get a picture up for when I do that later this year. For now, I'm gonna enjoy having a little jar of these to snack on. Oh, did I tell you that these are really delicious and addictive. 

Candied Spiced Nuts

Recipe by: Emeril Lagasse

2 cups mixed nuts (I used a mix of almonds, cashewnuts and walnuts)

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tbsp water

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp red chilly powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix the spice powders and salt and set aside.

Heat nuts in a dry skillet to roast lightly, stirring to prevent them from burning for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add the butter, sugar, water and spice mix to the hot skillet and cook, stirring frequently to make a lovely glaze. This should take about 1 minute. 

Tip the nuts back into the skillet and toss to coat the nuts with the glaze. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.

Take the skillet of the heat and transfer the nuts to a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil, separating them with a fork. Leave it till cool and the sugar has hardened. This should take roughly 10-15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

I'd like to say "Thank you" to Brenda of Meal Planning Magic for hosting this years 12WOCT. If you'd like to be a part of this delicious merriment, get in touch with Brenda and she'll include you in the group. Hope you can join us!

 Don't forget to check out what the other fabulous bloggers have made -