Sweet and Spicy Pecans
Love of nuts runs in my family. You may have noticed I'm not shy about them. Our friend Richard (Mary's other spouse) always makes fun of me because I once put in Mary's recipe book, "Never underestimate the power of nuts." He thinks that's hilarious. It is a little hyperbolic. Okay, Rich. It's funny. For some reason, I manage to say the stupidest things around Richard, and he's got comedy material to last him for weeks.
But these nuts...there's nothing funny about them. They are seriously good. I've been making spiced nuts of one sort or another for a long time and for lots of occasions--Christmas presents, parties. They've almost always turned out tasting good, but I've never hit on the perfect combo of dry/oily (and I steer away from any recipe that looks like it will take longer than 10 minutes). The ones calling for oil or butter end up too slick, and the ones with just an egg white are so sandpapery that I once rubbed all my fingertips off while bagging them up. I've finally had the bright idea of doing both butter and egg white. 
Loretta likes these. She wrinkles up her nose and says, "Can I have more spicy nut?" It would really be a hardship if she developed a nut allergy in her life. She likes to stand at the counter and watch me cook, and I always have a little bowl of toasted nuts up there. She eats happily, which keeps her from spilling my olive oil or getting her fingers chopped off.
It's lucky for me that close-up food photos are the rage right now. Otherwise, you'd be seeing a lot more of my kitchen table, which hosts every important and messy activity in this household. My friend Jackie used to say, "I wish all the surfaces in my house were slanted. That way I couldn't pile crap on top of everything." 
The opening photo in this post is staged, obviously. Like I was drinking beer and watching T.V. at 2:00 in the afternoon. But I do think these nuts would be the perfect thing to have while watching the American Idol finale, for instance. Not that I know anything about that competition. I think it's a cheerleading competition? Or poetry? I don't know. I've heard the young people are into it. If I did watch, I probably couldn't decide if I wanted Adam or Chris to win. My boss Michael is rooting for Chris. Chris is predictably decent, but I think he's gotten the sweetheart vote a couple times.
I'm going to grab another handful of nuts while I watch C-SPAN.
Sweet and Spicy Pecans
1 lb. pecans (4 or 5 cups)
1 egg white
4 Tb. butter
1 ts. cumin
pinch cayenne
1 ts. smoked paprika
1 Tb. brown sugar
1 ts. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
salt (at least 2 ts.)
Preheat oven to 300.
Put pecans in a medium bowl. Add egg white and mix gently with your hands, making sure all nuts are evenly coated with the egg white.
Melt butter in small saucepan. Take off heat, and add cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add butter mixture to pecans, and mix gently with your hands. Then add sugar and salt, mixing with your hands again until all nuts are evenly coated.
Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Nuts won't be crackly when you pull them out, but they will be after they cool for a few minutes. Put them into a bowl and continue watching American Idol C-SPAN.
May 20, 2009
Reader Comments (11)
Question of the Day: What the heck is smoked paprika and why do I need it in my life? To me regular paprika adds no flavor but makes things a pretty red. I know Rachel Ray is a big fan of the smoked paprika, but every time I see her using it I roll my eyes.
FYI - Google reader is being really weird right now. Your muffin post finally showed up in my feed a couple of hours ago. Google made some tweaks yesterday, so I hope everything sorts itself out.
Nice, subtle non-self deprecating hilarity in this post. Smiled big a couple of times.
The nuts look gorgeous and delicious. Love the picture of your kitchen table, makes me miss being there.
xo.
I love NUTS! But have to be careful due to my son's life threatening allergy to peanuts. :(
Thanks for the morning laugh! I needed it!
In response to the pds, I didn't know what smoked paprika was either. I was at Costco and saw them there. I purchased it knowing that I was probably getting the best deal regardless of the quantity. I'm so glad I did! It's amazing and now I find myself sprinkling it on most everything.
Sarah, I subscribed on my mac and hopefully it will work now? Will have to wait until your next post to see if it works. Already looking forward to it!
Google reader update: Seems the reader is working FAR better in the last hour than it was all of yesterday. This post came through a few minutes ago. Phew! I've not had issues with Google Reader until today, but I think it was related to some recent changes they made. Rest assured, people were posting complaints and it seems that in under 24 hours that things are better.
@Midori - Thanks for the vote for smoked paprika. I'll consider it next time I'm buying bulk.
i laughed out loud several times when reading this post. i love the slanted table remark and i had no idea you even knew there was such a competition as AI. :) perhaps i'll have to make this while i bite my fingernails off tonight watching. i'm going to have it out with someone if kris allen wins. oh, and btw, i'm making your rhubarb galettes today (to take to an annual preschool picnic tonight) and it's only the 500th time i've made them since you came out with that post. i'm not sure if it's because i have an inordinate amount of rhubarb or because i like feeling like a goddess...i think it's a bit of both. thanks!
Did anyone record C-SPAN last night? Because I never get to watch it, and my intent to record it was waylaid. Will have to go to the C-SPAN site, where I can usually find some things.
Note on piles: I'm the Queen Bee of Piles. Trust me, you DON'T want to challenge me on this one. But there were a few years that piles had no chance in my home... the three years I lived on a sailboat, and we really sailed it. If you took your home out on the water once a week and shook it as vigorously as a well-loved smoked paprika shaker, you wouldn't have piles either. Or children...
PS - Will trade photoshop work for Sweet and Spicy Pecans anytime!
[making particular note of sweet and spicy pecans to bribe Nazz for photoshop work]
You are cracking me up, Nazz. Love the paprika shaker joke. I think you might be making fun of me, and I like it.
I'm with you on the nuts. I cannot resist them. Doesn't matter if they're almonds, walnuts, pecans, you name it. I could eat them by the hand-full. Good thing they're full of the "good'' fat. ;)
i made a batch of this yumminess, and packaged it up, and tied it on to james's anniversary card.you would've thought i'd given him the #1 top item on his wish list.he said he could eat the whole bag in one sitting.i gave him permission,kissed him and said "happy anniversary"........obviously it doesn't take a whole lot to make this man happy.
I brought 4 of Sarah's recipes with me this weekend. I made the pecans last night and half are already gone...they are grrreat! The boys liked them too! Tonight Is sausage, kale, pasta dish...yum!