I'm nuts for nuts!!! Always have been, probably always will be. When I saw this recipe was chosen for December I was very excited. Now I can actually make them AND store them away for all of our holiday gatherings instead of me eating them all myself (something I would otherwise do).
This recipe was fast and easy although a bit costly (at least for the amount I made). As a frequent shopper of Costco, I purchased all my nuts there and used a combination of cashews, pecans, walnuts and almonds. Anybody want to play a game of "Where's Waldo" in the below photo?
Instead of the 2 cups of nuts stated in the recipe on page 18 of "Around My French Table" by Dorie Greenspan, I used more like 6 cups, total nuts. See, I told you I love nuts!!! Good thing I'm saving these for company :)
Oh, I also added some additional ingredients that the recipe didn't call for (you should know me by now). My additions were: a sprinkling of brown sugar, some smoked paprika, some smoked ground cumin and some fresh grated nutmeg. Is that be so wrong??? I think not!
Baked in a relatively low oven for approximately 30 minutes has your home smelling like the best corner nut shop in the city (if there were such a thing). Allow to cool slightly on the parchment lined baking sheets and then break the nut clusters into pieces. Waiting too long to cool your nuts on the parchment (like I did) only leads you to peeling the parchment paper off your nuts when fully cool (and let's just say that nobody needs to see that)!!
Can't wait to serve these babies at all our holiday gatherings. No, let me re-phrase that...Can't wait to EAT these babies at all our holiday gatherings!!! Please, If you see me hanging around the nut bowl too long, you have my permission to remove me as quickly as possible. I don't have the will power on my own! I'm all about the nuts!!!
Until we eat again,
Labels: appetizers and snacks, cumin, FFWD, nutmeg, nuts, salty. sweet, smoked paprika, spicy
