Salty, sweet and addictive
HOLIDAY SNACKS: Now is the time to go nuts for unique chewy treats
Every year at Christmas, I make spiced or candied nuts to give as gifts.
Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of recipes and come up with favourites.
But this one, which I made for the first time last week, is my new front-runner.
From Ina Garten’s new book Make It Ahead, these nuts are salty and sweet and utterly addictive.
The recipe is a bit scary. (As written in Garten’s book, it’s full of exclamation marks: “The caramel is very hot! It will bubble up! Work quickly!”)
At one point, my sugar-water mixture crystallized into something that looked like a solid salt flat in a frying pan. Then, when it started to melt and turn golden, there were still shelves of solid white clinging to edges. Stick with it, though, and it works perfectly as directed.
Even the cleanup was far easier than I anticipated: The solid caramel that stuck to my pan and spoons melted away easily in hot dish water and the sticky parchment paper can just be thrown into your green bin.
Salted Caramel Nuts
Makes: 8 cups (2 L)
Prep. time: About 40 minutes
1 cup (250 ml) whole roasted salted cashews
1 cup (250 ml) whole large pecan halves
1 cup (250 ml) whole unsalted almonds
1 cup (250 ml) whole walnut halves
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 tsp (10 ml) kosher salt
1 tsp (5 ml) fleur de sel
Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C.) Combine the nuts on a sheet pan, spread them out and roast them for seven minutes until they become fragrant. Set aside to cool.
After the nuts are cooled, place the sugar and 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a medium (10-in. or 25-cm) sauté pan and mix with a fork until all of the sugar is moistened
Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts — from this point on, don’t stir the caramel, swirl the plan.
Don’t worry — the mixture may look as though it’s crystallizing. Continue to cook for five to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes a clear golden brown, swirling the pan constantly at the end. (Careful: The caramel will be very hot.)
Off the heat, quickly add the vanilla (it will bubble up) and swirl the pan to combine. Working quickly (the caramel will continue to cook in the pan), add the nuts and the kosher salt and toss with two large spoons until the nuts are completely coated.
Pour the nuts and any extra caramel in the pan onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the nuts out in a single layer, pulling them apart with two forks. Sprinkle with the fleur de sel and set aside to cool.