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Regional, seasonal food with original recipes by Susan S. Bradley

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Home/Autumn Leaves/Candied Spiced Walnuts or Pecans

Candied Spiced Walnuts or Pecans

Blanching the walnuts or pecans before coating with sugar and spices helps to keep them light and crisp after baking. In addition, because the nuts are hot and wet, the sugar clings to them nicely. I’ve tried several other methods, but this is my all-time favorite.

Candied Spiced Walnuts or Pecans | LunaCafeI drove through the Cascade foothills today and was delighted that the leaves are beginning their yearly show. It’s not the full show yet. That will take another week or two. But the few trees that are turning now are the most glorious shades of crimson, burgundy, orange and gold. Surreal!

I also passed several large pumpkin fields and corn mazes. I rolled down the car window to hear the hordes of squealing, laughing kids in the fields. I even thought I smelled apple cider, but it’s still too early for fresh pressed, unpasteurized cider.

At the market, the pumpkin and winter squash displays are magnificent. Dozens of varieties of local apples are flooding in, along with pears, sweet onions, chile peppers, and fresh crop hazelnuts and walnuts.

Usually all of this fall bounty and merriment makes me run to the kitchen to create a few new soul warming soups. But this year, for some unfathomable reason, I am wild about salads. Maybe it’s because the days are still mostly sunny and warm. I’m still wearing my cropped yoga pants and Jam’s World Hawaiian shirts for goodness sake. Along with flip flops almost everywhere.

Just Baked Candied Spiced Walnuts and Pecans
But of course the carefree attire will go to the back of the closet any day now, and I’ll put a coat in the car, just in case.

In the meanwhile, however, I’m creating a couple of new salads each week. Did you see the two salads I posted earlier, Indian Summer Tomato, Orange & Sweet Onion Salad or Spanish Broccoli & Prawn Salad?

And now I am ready to post Caramelized Pear Salad with Gorgonzola, Candied Spiced Walnuts & Spicy Orange Vinaigrette. But to make it, you’ll need my favorite candied walnut recipe. This recipe is a bit unusual in that it calls for blanching the nuts before coating them with sugar. I think you will love the results.

If, like me, you feel you must have these nuts on hand at all time, make a double batch, cool thoroughly, put into freezer bags and freeze. Even frozen, they never last very long in the OtherWorldly Kitchen.

Candied Spiced Walnuts or Pecans

Blanching the walnuts or pecans before coating with sugar and spices helps to keep them light and crisp after baking. In addition, because the nuts are hot and wet, the sugar clings to them nicely. I’ve tried several other methods, but this is my all-time favorite.

½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
½-1 teaspoon chipotle, ancho, or cayenne powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 heaping cup walnuts

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together sugar, chile powder, and salt.
  3. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add walnuts and blanch for 3 minutes. Or add pecans and blanch for 15 seconds only.
  4. Drain the nuts thoroughly and immediately toss in sugar mixture until thoroughly coated. The sugar will melt slightly.
  5. Transfer nuts to a baking sheet that has been coated with vegetable spray, and bake until they are a deep golden brown, turning halfway through baking, about 15 minutes total time. Watch closely because sugar burns easily.

Makes 2 heaping cups.

Copyright 2009 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

Written by:
Susan S. Bradley
Published on:
October 11, 2009

Categories: Autumn Leaves, Basics, Chile Peppers, Nuts, Pecans, WalnutsTags: autumn, candied pecans, candied walnuts, Fall, Northwest

About Susan S. Bradley

Intrepid cook, food writer, culinary instructor, creator of the LunaCafe blog, author of Pacific Northwest Palate: Four Seasons of Great Cooking, and former director of the Northwest Culinary Academy.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Opzioni Digitali

    July 26, 2013 at 7:54 pm

    Fine way of explaining, and nice post to get facts concerning my presentation subject matter, which i am going to present in academy.

  2. a-man

    December 23, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Selfmade nut mix. Delicious and healthy.
    Merry X-mas!

  3. Elisabeth

    December 10, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    Was looking for a candied nut recipe that I could try at high altitude without a problem. Perfect.

  4. Kim

    February 12, 2011 at 8:35 pm

    Just tried this recipe (and just discovered your site!). The walnuts were soooo good!
    Looking forward to trying your other interesting recipes!

  5. Kayla K

    September 29, 2010 at 8:49 am

    I made these for a Monday night football group. They were delicious! I was afraid they were a little over cooked but everybody (who likes spicy) loved them! I was suprised that a half cup powdered sugar and a tsp cayenne pepper would have the taste result these ended up with. I loved this recipe! Some of them did actually burn and got stuck to the bottom of the pan even though I sprayed it, I think next time I’ll put some parchment paper down. I just did walnuts so I’d like to add in the pecans next time too. Thank you for the great recipe!

  6. bethany

    April 13, 2010 at 9:07 pm

    Thank you very much, I’m trying again today!

    • sms bradley

      April 15, 2010 at 10:45 pm

      Bethany, sure hope it worked on the second try.

  7. bethany

    April 8, 2010 at 7:46 am

    When you say “blanch” do you mean boil for three minutes & plunge into ice water at the end? Or do you just mean to boil for 3 minutes? My walnuts came out mushy from this recipe and I’m trying to figure out why so I can correct it next time. Thanks!

    • sms bradley

      April 8, 2010 at 8:03 pm

      Bethany, simply blanch for 3 minutes and DO NOT plunge into ice water. The walnuts should be hot when tossed with the sugar. I have never had them turn out mushy, so this is an interesting outcome. Be sure to bake for the full 15 minutes as that dries them out to just the right degree. On the other hand, next time try blanching them for only 2 minutes and see if that works out better for you. Best…Susan

  8. Sophie

    January 1, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    These nuts look lovely! Yum!
    .-= Sophie´s last blog ..Chicken with a cranberry, port & orange sauce, served with sugared braised Belgian endives =-.

  9. sms bradley

    October 18, 2009 at 5:55 pm

    Thanks, Kevin! 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad with Warm Goat Cheese & Honey Mustard Vinaigrette says:
    February 1, 2015 at 11:28 am

    […] butternut squash, and sweet pimiento pepper is sensational with fresh rosemary, salad greens, Candied Spiced Walnuts or Pecans  and Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. It’s almost a bonus that the salad is also […]

  2. Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup says:
    September 23, 2014 at 2:55 pm

    […] Candied Spiced Walnuts or Pecans […]

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Susan S. Bradley

Intrepid cook, food writer, culinary instructor, creator of the LunaCafe blog, author of Pacific Northwest Palate: Four Seasons of Great Cooking, and former director of the Northwest Culinary Academy. Read More…

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