Well, it’s official. We’re smack dab in the middle of the dreaded holiday season. Parties and gatherings and family and everyone asking you to bring a little something to share. So are you really going to bring a bag of chips and salsa again? Come on now, you can step it up a bit. This recipe takes approximately two minutes to prep and 30 minutes in the oven. Plus, you get a fabulous tip from me on something that you need to have in your arsenal: simple syrup. Why is it called “simple”? Because it’s 1:1, water to sugar. You heat it up, dissolve the sugar and, simple as that, you have a base for so many things! Infuse your syrup with lemon zest, rosemary sprigs, lavender flowers, black pepper or fresh ginger root, and you have the makings for all sorts of fun cocktails.
The addition of crystallized ginger in this recipe gives this sweet snack some satisfying chewiness as well as a peppery but citrusy bite. So come on, be the person that brings the good snack to the party.
Super Simple Gingered Nuts
Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
¼ cup water
¼ cup granulated white sugar
3 cups unsalted mixed nuts
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds
½ cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a saucepan, make the simple syrup by combining the water and sugar over medium heat and stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, toss together the nuts, sesame seeds, ginger, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Add the simple syrup to the bowl and stir to coat the nuts.
• Spread the nuts out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Note: If you have the inclination to do so, using smoked nuts elevates this snack to “slap your mama” good. Find out how to smoke nuts here. Don’t have a smoker? Learn how to create a DIY smoker here.
This article appears in December 2012.