When it comes to holiday gifting, I think some of the best presents are the ones prepared with love in your own kitchen. Often my edible gifts lean more toward the sweet side of the spectrum; here is savory nut recipe which is positively addictive! It is easy to make, it is unusual, the presentation is spectacular, it is (somewhat) healthy, and the aroma of baking rosemary and thyme crusted nuts will have the neighbors peering into your windows! It is good this makes such a large batch, since a chef needs to sample frequently throughout the mixing and baking process, for quality control purposes. This recipe is adapted from one found on afarmgirlsdabbles.com. I have made it twice already in the past few weeks and feel quite certain I will be mixing nuts again before Christmas. This version yields 14 cups, but you can easily half the recipe if you are feeling only slightly nutty.
Spicy Herb Roasted Nuts
14 cups large whole nuts - I used a combination of cashews, pecans, walnuts and almonds. Raw nuts are preferable, but I only found lightly toasted cashews and they worked out fine.
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 Tbsp. white sugar
4 tsp. coarse sea salt
2 tsp. coarsely ground fresh black pepper
Mix the nuts together in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, gently heat the olive oil over low heat until warm. Do not let it get too hot or the oil will burn. Stir in the chopped rosemary and thyme; stir and continue heating over low for about one minute. Remove from heat and add the cumin and cayenne pepper. Pour the herbed oil evenly over the nuts; stir with a wooden spoon to coat all the nuts. Combine the sugar, salt and black pepper; sprinkle the mixture over the nuts and stir to coat. Pour into two 10 x 15 inch baking pans. Bake at convection bake 300 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring the nuts half way through. Let cool; try to resist the urge to sneak a choice, savory nut every time you walk through the kitchen. Store in airtight container for up to two weeks. I put mine in little cellophane bags for gift giving.
