Look No Further
This is the best spiced nut recipe I have ever tried. It is in Joanne Chang’s cookbook Flour Too, which, unlike her first book Flour—dedicated to the sweet side of her successful bakery of the same name—is mostly about savoury dishes, from breakfast through lunch and casual dinner.
It is the sort of food you would love to see in an upscale cafe. There are lots of neat recipes in this book, with excellent instructions, but these spiced pecans are the star.
I tried this technique with walnuts, but pecans remain the best choice, as they are a sweeter, less acidic-tasting nut. As she warns in the book, keep stirring over medium heat in a relaxed way (your burner may even have to be medium-low, as stoves vary dramatically), and you will get to that sandy moment.
Recipe
Flour's Spectacular Spiced Pecans
This is truly a spectacular spiced pecan. You can't stop at just one, I guarantee it.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200gr) pecan halves
- 1/2 cup (100gr) white caster sugar or white granulated sugar
- 1.5-2 tsp Cayenne, Marash or Aleppo Pepper (all dried versions, not fresh)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.
- In a heavy saucepan with even heat conduction, combine pecans, sugar, cayenne (or your alternative choice), salt and water.
- Over medium heat, stir constantly and fold over mixture with a wooden spoon.
- Continue to stir (10-15 minutes usually) until you see the sugar crystallize.
- The sugar will look sandy and coat the pecans.
- Remove pan from the heat and pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading the nuts in a single layer.
- Bake for 8 to 15 minutes (depends on your oven) until the pecans are toasted inside.
- The interior should be a light golden brown but not burned on the exterior.
- Allow to cool completely (20-30 minutes) and transfer to an airtight container.
- They will keep at room temperature for two weeks.
I’ve had the ones from flour dozens of times and these are exact. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Julia,
I have made this recipe in Italy for my daughter’s friends and family and it is a smash hit! I never had them at Flour, so am glad to know that it is the same.