Ok, I’ll admit the Olympic motto doesn’t quite fit what I set out to do here. There are no illicit substances in these nuts so they won’t get you higher but they were made faster and taste stronger. I prefer to cook without a recipe in front of me, instead, following my instincts and vague recollections of recipes past. I did a pretty good job of replicating my own version of spiced nuts this time, adding a step of toasting the nuts first for best flavor and using a pre-mixed version of the spices. The only time-saver remaining is making the syrup. I think starting with a more even ratio of water to sugar will help.
Pecans coated with an assortment of spices and sugar.
Sweet and Spicy Nuts
created by Sarah Johnson
inspired by Santa’s Spicy Nuts
- 1c pecans
- ¼c brown sugar
- 2T chinese five spice
- 2t chili powder
- 1t ginger powder
- Toast pecans in a pan over medium-high heat until slightly browned. Set aside.
- Sprinkle spice powders over pecans and stir to combine.
- Combine brown sugar and same amount of water in a pan over medium heat until thick, slow-bursting bubbles form.
- Pour the sugar mixture over the nuts, stir to combine.
- Let the sugar harden over the nuts before eating.
Notes and Variations
The sugar mixture needs to be cooked to the "hardball" stage, also known as the "fish eye" stage. I took this picture when my sugar mixture was nearly at the hardball stage. The problem here is that the bubbles were bursting too fast which means that the syrup was too thin still, but the bubbles are a good size.
Brown sugar and water boiling near the hardball stage.
The biggest issue with this dish is getting the sugar to harden on the pecans. I never do it right, don’t want to wait, and so just eat the nuts with a spoon while they’re still sticky. If you want to do this properly, you should spray a baking tray with oil, maybe even cover it with parchment paper then spray with oil, and bake the pecans for a few minutes on low heat so that the sugar hardens. I have not tried this, again, an issue of patience and hunger! It should work in theory though.
One more note about variations: nuts! I used pecans cause they absorb the syrup well, taste good with the spice and sugar, and were on hand. This would also taste good with peanuts, probably cashews, and most other nuts. Perhaps even a mixture of them all!
