Homemade for the Holidays: Roasted Nuts

If you have a smoker and a small stack of ingredients, you have what it takes to craft some savory, sweet, and spicy holiday roasted nuts. Open up the spice cupboard, start the smoker, and create your own tradition the whole family will devour.

Sweet & Spicy Smoked Almonds

In less than an hour, your family will be craving more of these delightfully sweet and spicy treats.

Ingredients

• 16 – 18 ounces raw almonds
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp. Kosher salt
• 1 (or 2) pinches cayenne pepper (to taste)
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• ½ tsp. cracked black pepper
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp. water

Directions

Start the Big Green Egg with the lid open and leave until the fire is established. Set grill for indirect cooking. Preheat to 300° F with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, cayenne, smoked paprika, cinnamon and black pepper.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg white and water until frothy but not stiff. Add the almonds into the egg whites and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated.

Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with aluminum foil.

Place the cookie sheet on the grill grate and roast for 30 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through the roasting process.

When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl and break apart any that have stuck together.

“Cinn”ful Pecans

We used our Big Green Egg to craft these sinfully cinnamon treats.

Ingredients

• 1 pound raw pecan halves
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground clove powder
• 1 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions

Start the Big Green Egg with the lid open and leave until the fire is established. Set grill for indirect cooking. Preheat to 225° F.

Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt in a small bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon of cold water to the egg white in a large bowl. Beat with a whisk until it forms soft peaks.

Stir in the pecans, sugar, spice, and everything nice. Coat evenly.

Place your coated pecans on a cookie sheet lined with foil and smoke for 30 minutes.

Stir and Flip 15 minutes into the smoking.

Remove your pecans from the Big Green Egg and spread them out onto a pan.

Allow to cool and harden. Takes about 2 hours.