GOOD EATS: nutty holiday treats

Sorry for the slight delay, but as promised, here is the super easy recipes for these super delicious nutty snacks that I teased you with  in my games night post. This was the first time I tried both of these and they turned out delish! I made cinnamon maple almonds and sweet & spicy pecans. Keep reading to get the recipes and see how truly easy they are to make.

These are the perfect snack to have on hand for unexpected guests or if you want to give your guests something to snack on when they arrive without ruining the meal you’ve been slaving on all day.

The recipe is basically the same, you just add different spices. Here’s the basics:
– 4 cups of nuts
– 1/3 cup of maple syrup
– 1/3 cup white sugar
– 2 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp salt

To make it spicy add a 1/4 tsp of ground cayenne

Now I use the term recipe loosely because basically you drizzle the nuts with maple syrup until they’re coated, mix up your sugar and spices and throw them in the bowl with the nuts until everything is all coated. If you like cinnamon, add more. If you you like to punish your taste buds, add more spice. You like cumin, add a dash. You get the idea. My only tip is to add the spices in very small amounts and test. Your guests will thank you. Many recipes use whipped egg whites but I found them too liquidy and preferred the maple syrup big time.

I want to send a special shout out to my friend Stefano who generously gifted me this bottle of pure maple syrup that came from his own maple trees! There is a ton of work that goes into getting one full bottle of goodness like this. You can definitely taste the difference. Don’t cheap out people, get the real stuff.

Once everything is coated pour on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure to spread evenly. Put in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 min, stirring every 5 min or so, until the coating is no longer super sticky. Let them cool before serving.

Trust me, you will become addicted. You can make them ahead of time but who are we kidding, they won’t last until you have guests. I was particularly addicted to the spicy pecans and who knew that 1/4 tsp of cayenne could have so much kick..yow!

Check out more good eats here.