A classic Southern holiday snack, these sweet, savory and spicy nuts are always a crowd-pleaser and they're easy to make, too. You can find a number of variations of this recipe; this is our version. It's a little different than most because we like to beat the egg whites up to soft peaks, bake at a lower temperature, and reserve a bit of the spice mixture to sprinkle over the nuts in the last moments of baking. These small differences ensure that the nuts don't stick together or become super sticky, and develop a nice, spicy candy coating on the outside. These are one of our favorites and we hope they'll become one of yours too.HOLIDAY SPICED NUTS
2 egg whites
1 tbs water
4 cups pecan halves
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil misted with cooking spray, or a silpat.
In a large bowl, whip the egg whites and water with a whisk until just at soft peaks. Do not overbeat.
In a small bowl, mix together all the spices. We usually grate fresh nutmeg with a microplane and use whole cloves that we smash to dust in a mortar and pestle, but use whatever you have onhand. You can experiment with varying the spices and amounts that you add to the spice mixture; some ideas: powdered ginger, ground cumin, mustard powder.
Add the nuts to the egg whites and gently stir to combine. Add the spice mixture (reserving a couple of tablespoons for the end) and continue to gently stir together.
Dump the mixture out on the sheet pan, spread it out into a single layer, then put in the oven. The total baking time is about 30 minutes, but you'll need to stir them every so often, at least 2 or 3 times during baking. Add the reserved spice mixture the last time you stir them, after they've been in the oven about 25 minutes. Be somewhat cautious about letting your oven get too hot or leaving them in too long as they can go from gorgeous to burnt up very quickly. Allow to cool in pan, occasionally stirring if needed to prevent sticking.
Covered with plastic wrap they'll keep for a few weeks stored at room temperature, or sit them out in bowls where people congregate and watch them disappear. Some years we've gone through several batches of these; they're great with wine and cocktails and always a favorite. Happy holidays, and enjoy!
