My grandmother’s house always smelled like a cozy winter dream because of her roasted Christmas Nuts. They would get eaten very fast; she’d make a batch nearly every day. The toasty cinnamon and butter wafts will get you—they are so hard to resist. Bring a batch to any holiday gathering, and you’ll be the most popular!
*Feel free to substitute different nut varieties based on preference or allergy.
Notes: butter is salted.
Christmas Nuts
Ingredients: 2 cups whole walnuts, 2 cups pecan halves, 1 cup roasted pistachios, 1/3 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional), 1 tsp. flaky sea salt, 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary.
Makes approximately 5 cups.
1. Preheat/prep: Preheat oven to 400 F- standard bake. *Important* If you have a fan-assisted or convection setting to your oven, preheat ONLY to 350-360 to prevent burning. (Many ovens use a fan-heat process that will quick-heat to hotter than the chosen temp for energy saving before coming down.) If you don’t know whether your oven does this, or don’t plan on watching the nuts closely, choose 350.) Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Melt the butter slowly until just foamy.
2. Mix and Roast: Tip walnuts, pecans, and pistachios onto the lined sheet and distribute them into an even layer. Drizzle over the butter and sprinkle over the brown sugar, cinnamon and cayenne pepper (if using). Toss to coat well and redistribute the nuts into an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes, then give them a turn with a spatula and roast for 5-10 minutes more. Pay attention to the smell! *See more tips below.
3. Remove the nuts from the oven and immediately sprinkle over the sea salt and rosemary. Mix to combine and pour into a serving bowl or covered container for later. It keeps up to one week.
TIPS
My nuts burned! (It happens to the best of us.) Nuts have natural oils, nuts that are not pre-roasted are more oily than others, so they will cook faster. Also, ovens vary. Internal temperatures are not always as selected, no matter how new or old the oven. If you frequently bake and are comfortable with using the higher temp of 400, make sure there is no convection setting— this setting pushes the heat around inside the oven which can actually make it hotter. When in doubt, use a lower temp for more control, or only cook for 7-10 minutes each side.
The nuts came out wet and sticky— not cooked! This is due to underheating. Put them back in at 15-20 degrees higher, and turn every 5 minutes until crispy.
Ugh- I hate ovens — is there any other way? Place the ingredients in step 2 into a large non-stick skillet. Cook and turn over medium heat, watching carefully until toasty and crisp. Remove immediately.