Salty, Sweet 'N Savory

Salty? Good. Sweet? Good. Savory? Good. So why not combine all three flavors into one supreme holiday treat? Sounds good to me: chipotle and rosemary roasted nuts (adapted from Ina Garten's recipe). I know the title alone sounds complicated, and the fact that there are so many descriptive words may lead you to think this recipe will take a long time. But would I suggest a recipe that's overly time consuming or written in the equivalent of hieroglyphic text? Come now, you must know me better than that. And though nuts can be expensive (making this recipe a bit of an investment), believe me when I say it is SO worth it.

I was first introduced to this recipe two weeks ago, when one of my co-workers brought the tasty treat to our office holiday party. Everyone went gaga over how delicious the nuts were (that's what she said) - in fact, they were consumed with more speed and determination than the seven different varieties of cookies also waiting to be eaten. That evening, I searched for the recipe online with the intention of making the nuts as soon as possible. However, during the chaos and stress that encompasses end-of-year work and holiday planning, I completely forgot about the recipe. Sad, but true. 

Then as fate would have it, I stumbled upon the recipe again a few days ago, in the December issue of the Food Network Magazine. This time, I was committed to making the delicious treat. So I did. And the result: one of the most perfect combination of flavors my taste buds have ever experienced. No joke. And just as fabulous as the taste is the fact that this recipe makes A LOT. So rather than give your neighbors more cookies (that, let's face it, will end up going stale and uneaten because everyone ends up with an exorbitant amount of cookies this time of year) you can package up some of this mix to give away as a holiday gift. Or better still, serve the nut mix at a holiday or new year's eve party you might be throwing - trust me, the mix will be devoured. 

The link to the original recipe is up above and below is the version that I ended up making.  Measure, mix, roast, and enjoy this salty, sweet 'n savory treat!

Ingredients:

-canola oil

-2 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews

-2 cups whole walnut halves

-2 cups whole pecans

-1 cup whole almonds

-1/3 cup maple syrup (you can substitute with honey or agave nectar)

-1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

-juice from 1 orange (about 3-4 tablespoons)

-2 teaspoons chili powder

-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste

-1/4 cup fresh rosemary, minced (or 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, minced)

-salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray/canola oil

3. Combine all nuts, 2 tablespoons canola oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Toss to coat nuts evenly. 

4. Add 1/2 of minced rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt. Toss again.  

5. Spread nuts in one layer on baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring 2-3 times. Nuts should be glazed and golden brown when finished. 

6. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining rosemary and 2 more teaspoons of salt. Toss again and stir occasionally while mix is cooling, to prevent clumps from sticking together.

7. Serve at room temperature. Store in air tight container.