If there’s an easier candy out there, I haven’t found it. When I worked as a pastry chef, I think I made a batch of these every day. And since they’re so easy, why not? (Actually, I pretty much had to since I discovered all the other cooks in the kitchen couldn’t resist dipping into the container when I wasn’t looking.) Great nibbled on their own, these nuts are also good used in place of the toasted nuts in Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 188) and Robert’s Absolute Best Brownies (page 196), or in place of the almonds in Pistachio, Almond, and Cherry Bark (page 223). They can be chopped and folded into just-churned ice cream, or sprinkled on top of scoops of ice cream that are sauced with a ladleful of warm Rich Caramel Sauce (page 241).
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 cups (400 g)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150° C). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or oil it lightly.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, about 10 seconds. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cayenne or chile powder, salt, vanilla, and pecans until the nuts are well coated.
Step 3
Distribute the nuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the pecans are well toasted and the glaze is dry, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool completely, separating the pecans as they cool.
Storage
Step 4
The nuts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Variation
Step 5
You can substitute walnut halves for the pecans.
