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Candied pecans or walnuts are a perfect treat for the holiday season. They also make a wonderful salad or dessert topping. A welcome gift for your friends, family, or co-workers. You’ll be surprised at how quickly this recipe comes together.
The nuts are covered in a sweet cinnamon and sugar mixture that candies and turns crunchy in the oven. Another plus, they make the entire house smell heavenly while they are baking.
Preheat oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
Beat the egg white on medium speed until foamy and frothy. This means you beat them until they form a mass of tiny, clear bubbles. You don’t want to beat them so long that stiff peaks form. It only takes about a minute.
Fold the nuts into the egg-white mixture. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the nuts, and stir together until the nuts are well coated. Spread the nuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stirring every 15 minutes until nuts are evenly browned. Cool completely on the baking sheet. Once cool, store in an air-tight container or package in individual bags, tins, boxes, or jars for gift-giving. Nuts can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 weeks.
Candied Pecans or Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg white
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 pound pecan or walnut halves (approx. 4 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°.
- Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt together, in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl whisk egg white and vanilla together until foamy. Fold the walnuts into the egg-white mixture.
- Pour the cinnamon sugar over the top of the walnut mixture and stir together until the walnuts are well coated.
- Spread the walnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stirring every 15 minutes until walnuts are evenly browned.
