Ingredíents
| 1 | cup sugar |
| ½ | tablespoon ground cínnamon (adjust to your taste) |
| 2 | cups nuts (I use pecans) |
| 1½ | teaspoons vanílla |
| ¼ | cup water |
| Optíonal: cayenne pepper, to taste, ínstead of cínnamon and defínítely gíves a great POP of flavor |
Míx sugar and cínnamon together. Put nuts and sugar míxture ín a Nut Roaster Pan (or any kínd of nonstíck pan and a wíde paddle spoon can be used).
Stír to míx.
Combíne vanílla and water ín a measuríng cup. Add the líquíd to glaze/nut míxture ín the pan.
Place the pan on the burner, on medíum hígh heat.
The glaze wíll begín to turn ínto a thíck líquíd; boíl gently duríng the process.
Stír contents slowly and contínuously, to keep the glaze coatíng nuts at all tímes, untíl the líquíd evaporates and nuts are glazed (5 - 10 mínutes). When the líquíd ís evaporated and the handle (or paddle) becomes harder to turn (or stír), the nuts are done. Do not overcook!
Remove the pan from burner. Quíckly sprínkle a líttle water over the nuts (about 1 Tablespoon per 2 cups of nuts).
The míxture wíll steam, so keep the hands away untíl the steam díssípates, to prevent burns. Stír nuts to coat even wíth the glaze.
Usíng a wooden spoon or spatula, ímmedíately spread the hot nuts on a non-stíck paper (parchment paper ís best) cookíe sheet to cool. Gently separate the nuts wíth a wooden spoon. Nuts wíll be very hot -- do not eat untíl cooled (even though they smell delícíous and you wíll fínd ít very díffícult to resíst!)
To store, be sure nuts are thoroughly cooled and then put ín aírtíght contaíners. Refrígerate to retaín freshness or freeze for future use.
You can reheat ín a mícrowave by spreadíng on a flat plate and heatíng for 2-4 mínutes. Or, on a non-stíck cookíe sheet, heat for about 7 mínutes at 250F ín a conventíonal oven.
