Looking for Christmas in a bowl? You’ve found it! These Christmas Spiced Nuts are dangerously moreish & the perfect accompaniment to your festive tipple.
We love a sweet treat, especially around the festive season when it’s socially acceptable to have at least one dessert with each meal. But, these Christmas Spiced Nuts could have us opting for hors d’oeuvres over pudding any night of the week!
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, there is a substantial amount of sugar in these too. However, it’s perfectly balanced with the heat of cayenne pepper and the smokiness of chipotle.
Add your favourite tipple (check out our round up of Christmas cocktails for inspiration) and you’ve got a perfect evening on your hands!
Let’s Get Nutty!
The great thing about this recipe is its versatility. Use your favourite nut types – don’t like Brazil nuts? Add macadamias. Not a cashew fan? Try pistachios instead!
The only rule we advise sticking to here is steering clear of peanuts – they tend to dominate in a nut mix and don’t particularly add to the festive flavours.
If you’re looking to spice up your Christmas gifts this year, these nuts would be the perfect homemade addition to any present! Pop them into a festive cellophane bag, seal well and then sit back and wait for the compliments to come flooding in! We’ve even created the label for you to attach as well!
So, the only thing left to do is to make that cocktail!
Ingredients
- 1kg raw, unsalted nuts (use a mixture such as almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts)
- 2 egg whites
- 1 ½ tbsp. water
- 210g caster sugar
- 100g light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp ground chipotle chilli powder
- 1tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1tsp ground cumin
- 1tsp ground all spice
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp salt
Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 180C and line 2-3 large baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, salt and all of the spices; stir together to ensure they are evenly mixed and there are no clumps.
- In a large bowl add the egg whites and water together. Using an electric hand whisk, mix until very light and frothy (approx. 1-2 mins)
- Add the nuts to the egg whites and toss to combine, ensuring that all of the nuts are coated.
- Add the sugar/spice mix to the nuts and again toss carefully to coat them fully.
- Spread the mixture across the baking trays, ensuring that the nuts are in a single layer so that they roast evenly.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss gently and return for another 10-15 minutes depending on how toasted you would like them.
- Allow them to cool; they will continue to crisp up.
- Store in an airtight container.
Print out this label to attach to your Christmas Spiced Nut gifts.
Recipe adapted from here and here.
For more delicious festive treats, click here. Looking for more inspiration for edible gifts, check out our other recipes.