Recipe: Candied Nuts

Today I have one of my favorite recipes to share with you, I'm so excited! My grandmother was a wonderful baker and two things I learned from her is there's always room for treats and that treats have a season. I loved everything she baked and always looked forward to holidays and celebrations to have our special treats. Divinity for weddings, strawberry cake with coconut frosting for Valentines, raisin cake for birthdays, rice balls for Halloween, and sugar cookies for Christmas. It was a fun tradition and made each celebration even more special.

I don't have a lot of treats under my belt yet (I'm going to try her pecan crunch this year!), but I make some amazing candied nuts! I make them every Christmas and they're so easy! I love any recipe that has items I have on hand and is simple to make. Matt asks for these every year earlier and earlier, they're great for camping, snacks, crushed up in salads, and treats for neighbors, friends, and coworkers.

Ingredients 
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
1 pound almonds or pecans
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons of fine grain sea salt

Directions 
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg white, vanilla extract and water. Beat mixture until frothy.
3. Stir in almonds and mix to coat.
4. In a separate bowl,  gently combine sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt and stir into almond mixture, thoroughly coating all nuts.
5. Evenly spread nuts onto prepared baking sheet and place into oven.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
7. Let cool then enjoy!

I love them warm, but they are a bit soft while warm. Don't worry, they'll harden as they cool. They will last up to two weeks when stored in an air tight container. I usually make them with almonds for gifts, but this year I made a batch of each to mix and share with friends.

What's your favorite recipe for the holiday season?