Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…
Jack Frost nipping on your nose…
Ehhh, well, not quite chestnuts or an open fire – but you know what I mean – roasted nuts in the winter, baked in the oven – is something along those lines, I think. When I had these for the first time, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Truly, I did. And then I couldn’t stop eating them, and then I’d say, “Just a few more,” as I walked by the bowl of nuts. Warning: they are highly addictive. In the last five years, I have really become a nutty person. Haha! The Farmer’s Market and State Fair get me every time with those cinnamon almond roasted nuts – they are soooo good…I can eat them all at once . They don’t last more than a day in my hands.
But I think this recipe is even better because of the caramelized chewy nuttiness with sweet dried cranberries. It just makes for a decadent delicious combo, and the really wonderful part is that they can be made at home – and quite easily! Yes!
As I am writing (and eating these by the handful), I would love to share this favorite recipe with you. I think you will absolutely love them! I have only made these with pecans, but I would think it could also work for almonds. Because they make a great snack for me, I tell myself they are kind of healthy with the obvious nuts and some dried fruit to balance out the unhealthy buttery sugar part, right?
“And so I’m offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
A very Merry Christmas to you”
- 3½ c. pecan halves
- ¼ c. + 1 t. light corn syrup
- ½ c. light brown sugar
- 2 T. butter
- ¼ t. baking soda
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 pkg. (about 1 cup) dried sweet cranberries (I use Cherry Craisins)
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick cook spray.
- Arrange pecans on a single layer.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter. Microwave 1 min. Stir. Return to microwave for 30 seconds (until boiling). Stir.
- Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Drizzle over pecans. Toss pecans with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to coat.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and add cranberries. Stir to combine.
- Place roasted pecans with cranberries on foil in single layer. Separate and cool
These look delicious!
How do you store them? IE: in an airtight container? in the refrigerator?
Thank you!
Thank you, they are irresistible! Yes, they can be stored in air tight container (ziplock bag works well) in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
What a fun post, Molly! As you well know, fresh pecans straight from the shell, are part of the Olesen/Wild family tradition. Every year right before Christmas Aunt Dot sent my mother a gallon of perfect pecan halves. Now my cousin, Willard, living in Alabama sends them whenever I am getting low in supply. This year I’ve made pralines for our Christmas eve salad, which includes pomegranate seeds, homemade poppy seed dressing, fresh spinach and other dark greens, and sometimes crumbled feta or blue cheese. Behold the pecan at Christmas! It makes my heart happy to know how you savor this southern NUT too! Love, MOM