Santa’s Spiced Nuts

It’s ok for me to publish this recipe now because Christmas is over and the batch I made is probably long gone. I made this for him as a Christmas gift so I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. Although I tested a version on him for Thanksgiving. It’s not always the surprise, but the thought that counts anyways, right? I dubbed these Santa’s Spiced Nuts both in honor of Schweddy Balls and because the spices smell like Christmas.

nothing like Schweddy Balls and Santa's Spiced Nuts for the holidays!

inspired by Strange Flavor Peanuts from Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 lb roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 t cloves
• 1 t all spice
• 1 t coriander
• 1 t cinnamon
• 2 t rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/3 c water

Special Equipment
wok – the original recipe is Chinese so they use a wok
candy thermometer – while you can guess on the heating of the syrup, I’m always impatient so a thermometer is useful

1. Mix the spices together and set aside.
2. Heat the wok (or a pan) over medium-high heat.
3. Add sugar and water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
4. Continue to heat to the “hardball” stage (makes the recipe title even more appropriate!) which is 250F. According to the original recipe, this is also known as the “fish-eye” stage because the bubbles look like fish eyes, which is a useful description if you are not using a thermometer.
5. Remove from the heat and add vinegar and spices.
6. Once the syrup is well mixed, add the peanuts, stir to cover them, and let cool until they are hard and hopefully not sticky.