HONEY ROASTED CASHEWS

Cashews are big at our house (any time of year) but especially during the holidays, so... when I came across this QUICK and EASY recipe at www.simplyscratch.com I knew I had to give it a try. It is definitely going onto my GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN list this Christmas!!!

The nuts are a HUGE hit with picky-picky husband. At this very moment, he is watching NBA basketball and snacking on them; he is in "heaven"!!

My variations to the original recipe are in BLUE.

Before you start, you'll need 2 cookie sheets; one lined with foil and one lined with parchment paper.  Warm up ONE of the empty cookie sheets in your oven while it preheats to 350°.

Now, a note about the cashews: I bought mine from the bulk natural foods section of our super market. They sell salted AND unsalted... I suggest you use the UNsalted cashews if you can find them. If you can't find unsalted, then just leave out the salt in the honey mixture.

1  pound unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons honey
1½ tablespoons real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4  teaspoon cinnamon (I left this out)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

In a small glass bowl, mix the honey, maple syrup, butter and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Heat until the butter is melted and there are a few bubbles around the edges of the bowl.

Put the nuts in a large bowl and drizzle the honey mixture over them (make sure you use a spatula to get all of the syrup mixture out of the bowl.  Gently toss the nuts until they are completely covered.

Take the foil lined cookie sheet out of the oven (it should be nice and hot) and spread the honey coated nuts out to a single thickness (do not grease the foil).

Put the nuts into the 350° oven for 6 minutes.  After 6 minutes, remove the nuts and they will look a little "foamy" like this:

Quickly toss or stir the nuts and put them back into the oven for another 6 minutes.  During that time mix 2 level tablespoons of granulated sugar and 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt in a little cup and set aside.

When the nuts come out of the oven, the 2nd time, put them in a CLEAN large bowl and sprinkle them with the sugar-salt mixture. I found that you get better coverage if you sprinkle them with about 1/3 of the mixture... toss the nuts...then repeat that two more times.

Transfer the nuts to the 2nd parchment lined cookie sheet and spread them out as much as possible to cool; any nuts that are touching each other will stick together when they are completely cooled (although that is not the end of the world either... they easily break apart).

When the nuts are COMPLETELY COOL, put them in a glass jar with an airtight lid.

I'm warning you, these are totally addictive!! 

NOTE: If you don't have parchment paper, just line BOTH cookie sheets with ungreased foil.

NOTE: Make sure the cookie sheets have a raised lip around the edge.
NOTE: I left out the cinnamon because picky-picky husband doesn't care for it, but I think it would be a very nice addition. The cinnamon would probably give a darker color to the nuts.
NOTE: A note about salt in this recipe. If you can't find UNsalted cashews and/or UNsalted butter, I would suggest that you leave the salt out of the honey mixture so they don't turn out too salty.
NOTE: There is no OBVIOUS maple flavor to these nuts, but the maple syrup does blend beautifully with the honey and vanilla.