Winterpalooza finally made an unwelcome appearance this week. Dangerously cold arctic weather combined with snow and ice have me longing for the return of above freezing temperatures. While a fresh blanket of snow set against a blue sky makes for a beautiful landscape, it makes going out for a run a little treacherous. Right about now a forty degree temperature day would feel downright balmy to me, but would probably send shivers down the spines of my friends living in warm weather parts of the country. On bitter cold days my body craves comfort, hot, or spiced foods. And my idea of a snack to warm me up on a wintry day would be these Cinnamon Spiced Nuts. Although to be honest, these slightly addictive nuts would just as likely be easily inhaled on a warm day too.
What makes these Cinnamon Spiced Nuts so craveworthy are their crunch and sweet-ever so slightly spicy flavor. Cinnamon, ginger, and coriander are the ultimate winning trifecta combination. Ginger and coriander create an intriguing citrusy and a warm flavor with a hint of sweetness. With cinnamon serving to ramp up the heat of the ginger, together these three spices transform nuts into something feeling seriously sinful. Don't be at all surprised when someone says they remind them of the 'pricey' nuts served in paper cones or bags at Christkindlmarkts, county fairs, or Farmer's Markets.
These sweet, spicy nuts were made with raw/unroasted cashews and pecans, but any combination of your favorite nuts would work too. Almonds and walnuts would be great options. For the Cinnamon Spiced Nuts to have the best texture use a combination of two, three or four different kinds of nuts. I used half cashew and half pecans in this batch, but there are no rules for nut ratios. Let your personal preferences decide your nut choices.
An egg white and a tablespoon of water whisked to a frothy, soft peak consistency is what's responsible for binding the spices to the nuts as well as creating their crispiness.
Roasted on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a preheated 300 degree (F) oven for 40-45 minutes, the aroma of the nuts is a sign of what is to come. Once slightly cooled, the nuts are broken apart and transferred to a serving bowl. If stored in a tightly sealed container, the Cinnamon Spiced Nuts will be good for at least a week. Chances are pretty good they won't last that long.
These Cinnamon Spiced Nuts are the kind that will cause your friends and/or family to either hover over the bowl or make frequent return trips back to it. They would make for the most perfect bites at a cocktail party, as an appetizer, or as a hostess gift. Because they take just slightly more than an hour to make, they can easily be made for a casual, impromptu gathering. These nuts are destined to be one of your go-to favorites!
Recipe
Cinnamon Spiced Nuts
Perfect for a gathering up to 8
Ingredients
1 large egg white
1 Tablespoon water
1 pound (452g) of nuts (mixture of raw/unsalted cashews, pecans, almonds, and/or walnuts) - See Notes
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon toasted ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt or Kosher salt
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees (F). Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium-large sized bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add in the water and whisk again until very soft peaks form.
4. Add in the nuts, stirring to coat.
5. Sprinkle the sugar/spice mixture over the nuts. Stir to coat.
6. Spread the nuts evenly on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan midway through the baking process, until the nuts are dry and crisp. Remove from the oven. Let nuts cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes.
7. Break the nuts into pieces.
8. Transfer the nuts to a serving bowl. Serve them slightly warm or room temperature. Then watch these addictive nuts disappear.
Notes: (1) I used a half pound each of the raw/unsalted cashews and pecans. Use any combination of your favorite nuts. (2) The recipe was inspired by the 2005 Cook's Illustrated Cinnamon-Spiced Nuts recipe. In this version, I omitted the step of draining the nuts after they were mixed with egg white/water mixture; used flaky sea salt instead of table salt; and, baked the nuts at 300 degrees (F) rather than 275 degrees (F).