2022 Edible Holiday Gifts – Part 1
With Thanksgiving feasts behind us, no doubt many are thinking about (or have been thinking about) holiday gift giving. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I am sharing recipes for tasty and festive gifts that will please your friends and family. And because time is precious, most of these can be prepared fairly quickly so you can focus on spending time with the ones you love.
Tasty on its own
This recipe started as a smaller component of another recipe that I may share one day after a bit more testing. I found myself constantly nibbling on these sweet and spicy nuts and decided that they were great on their own. I tested them with friends and got the green light.
Beyond snacking, you could roughly chop the nuts and use it as a topping for ice cream or even as a crunch component for a salad.
A few simple ingredients
In addition to the mixed nuts you just need something sweet – sugar – and a bit spicy – cinnamon and cayenne. With a little water to help the sugar caramelize and salt to balance the sweetness, you can have these nuts ready in about 20 minutes. After that, package them up and get them ready for giving.
Gifting ideas
- Use a holiday decorated cellophane bag, tied with a ribbon.
- Use a mason jar or other glass jar and add a festive label.
- Package with a pretty serving dish.
Spicy Sugared Mixed Nuts
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
These sugared nuts are great for snacking or to serve with drinks after dinner. Chopped, they make a great topping for desserts or ice cream.
Ingredients
2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne, to taste
1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, optional
6 tablespoons water
1–1/2 cups unsalted mixed nuts
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of sugar with the cinnamon, ground cayenne, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Over medium heat, in a medium saucepan or small non-stick skillet, combine the remaining 2/3 cup sugar with the water. Bring to a boil.
Carefully add the mixed nuts to the sugar syrup. Stir frequently for 8-10 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Continue to stir for 2-3 minutes, until the sugar begins to caramelize.
Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the nuts and stir to combine.
Carefully pour the nuts onto the prepared baking sheet, separating with a spatula.
Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Be careful when making these nuts, especially with children, as it involves cooking with boiling sugar syrup.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 305.27
- Sugar: 23.53 g.
- Sodium: 102.26 g.
- Fat: 18.63 g.
- Saturated Fat: 2.49 g.
- Carbohydrates: 32.76 g.
- Fiber: 3.34 g.
- Protein: 6.25 g.
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: nuts, sugar, cinnamon, cayenne
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