Candy Coated Nuts Recipes

DAWN'S CANDIED WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread nuts in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn brown and the smell of roasting nuts fills the kitchen.
• Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage of 236 degrees F (113 degrees C). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately. .
• Add walnuts to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork. Cool, and store in airtight containers.

CANDY COATED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Spray the wax paper with cooking spray.
• Beat egg white until stiff. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Mix in pecans and stir until coated. Pour the nuts onto the prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake until browned, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

THE BEST CANDIED NUTS RECIPE

Steps:

• Line a Cookie Sheet with Wax or Parchment Paper and set-aside. Keep you oven-mitts handy too.
• Measure out your Nuts or Seeds in a Medium Bowl and set-aside.
• Place your pot on your stovetop over Medium heat. (I use this Cast Iron Dutch Oven - Cast Iron is wonderful for candy making & all types of cooking since it evenly distributes heat over the whole pan - even in the oven!)
• With a Silicone spatula, mix together the Sugar, Cinnamon, Salt & Water in your pot - stirring occasionally during the first 5 minutes. Between 5-10 minutes, your mixture should start to bubble & foam.
• Continue stirring regularly as the mixture continues to heat up for the next 10 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides of the pot as you go.
• Be sure the mixture is truly at 238 degrees! If you add the nuts too early, or if the temp is not accurate, you will end up with a 'stringy' candy result (which can still be saved - see note section below). I sometimes hold the temp for an extra minute or so until I can see the mixture pull away from the bottom of the pan when I scrape it with a rubber spatula. It is crucial to any candy recipe that your candy thermometer is accurate - I test/calibrate mine regularly against boiling water which boils at 212 degrees F.
• Once you reach the Soft Ball temperature, then work quickly to add your Nuts or Seeds to the mixture - using your spatula to continuously combine everything together - coating each Nut evenly. The coating will go from a shiny, stringy glaze to a dull, sugary coating in less than a minute. The coolness of the Nuts/Seeds will begin to crystalize the candy quickly. There should be no wet glaze leftover - it should have all crystalized.
• Using your oven mitts to handle the pot, remove from heat & carefully dump out the candied nuts/seeds onto your prepared cookie sheet & set-aside to cool completely. Break apart any large pieces. I place my cookie sheet on a cooling rack to avoid any moisture during the cooling process.
• Once the candy is cooled, you can store it in an airtight container or package it up for gift giving.

CANDIED NUTS

Steps:

• Grease a baking sheet or line with a silicone mat.
• Cook and stir peanuts, sugar, and water together in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat until liquid evaporates and nuts begin to crust with the hardening sugar; about 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and continue to cook and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to coat peanuts with syrup as the sugar begins to melt and darken to a deep caramel color, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan away from the heat as needed to allow peanut mixture to darken without burning. Remove from heat immediately when peanuts are deeply bronzed; stir.
• Sprinkle peanuts with sea salt and cinnamon or chili powder; tilt peanuts onto prepared baking sheet to cool completely. Break up clumps. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

SUGAR COATED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Grease one baking sheet.
• In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
• Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.