This recipe was shared with me by a friend of mine John Church. John gave me a bag of these one Christmas and they were delicious. I love the flavor which is not too sweet and has slightly spicy kick to it and are one of my holiday favorites. These nuts will go great on any green salad or would be a fantastic addition to a charcuterie board.




John’s Nuts
a slightly sweet and spicy nut which goes great on salads or just as a snack themself.
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Servings: 0
Equipment
- Kitchen
- Heavy saucepan
- Baking sheets
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shelled pecan halves Hazel Nuts and Walnuts also work well.
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper (or to taste) I actually leave this out as it is too hot for me
Instructions
- Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the nuts and set temperature to boil on the stove.
- Place silicone baking mats or parchment paper on each of the cookie sheets
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
- Combine all of the ingredients above EXCEPT the nuts to a separate saucepan and bring to a simmering boil.
- When the water in the first pot is boiling, add the nuts and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain.
- Add the hot nuts to the pan with the spice mixture. Turn up the heat and boil stir continuously until the liquid has evaporated and the nuts are all cover.
- Spread the nuts on the baking sheets being sure to spread them as evenly as possible. Place the pan in the preheated oven.
- Use a spatula to turn the nuts after cooking for 15-20 minutes. Cook the nuts until the reach a deep mahogany color which is usually 30-45 minutes depending on your oven. Be careful and watch these the last 10-15 minutes as the nuts can turn dark quickly and can burn if you are not watching.
- When the nuts reach the color you like, remove from the oven and let them sit out for a couple of hours. You can put these in a plastic container and store in the freezer. Later give the nuts a quick shake and they will separate. Enjoy!!