Gina’s recipes have been so popular–and we have another one for you, just in time for the holidays! It makes a great snack to tide over your guests while the meal is being prepared! And Gina suggests filling attractive mason jars with the leftovers, tying a ribbon around them and giving them away as gifts or party favors.
Ancho-Spiced Nuts
Everybody likes something to munch on for extra energy, or to accompany that glass
of wine earned by a day of unpacking! You may think you’ll never find ancho-chile
powder, but McCormick packages it, and it is readily available at most grocery
stores. It’s really important to keep the heat on low in this recipe, because the nuts
and spices are inclined to get too brown.
Makes 2 cups
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup pecans
1 cup cashews
2 teaspoons light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons ancho-chile powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Stir in the nuts, the sugar, and the spices, and toast them together for about 6 minutes. Transfer to a sheet tray, and cool completely.
