This past Thanksgiving I had the pleasure of spending it with good friends. Second only to the company (and maybe the wine) was a nut mixture that Lynda had made. While everyone else was dreaming of stuffing leftovers, I couldn’t stop thinking about these delicious nuts. So I finally e-mailed her for the recipe and made them last week.
Now, I don’t believe she is the originator of this recipe but I’m naming it after her anyways. First, because it’s funny. Second, because if Phoebe’s Grandma Nestley Toulouse can get credit for those chocolate cookies, Lynda can get the naming rights for these nuts. Her actually wanting those rights is another story.
As for the recipe, it is quite simple. You take a pound of unsalted mixed nuts and spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until they are golden brown.
Per Nutty Lynda’s advice, I used the 2.5 lb. unsalted mixed nuts from Costco so the recipe below is doubled.
While the nuts were baking I combined rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, salt and butter.
When the nuts were done, I simply mixed the spice mixture with the warm nuts and that was it!
They made the house smell amazing and were a big hit to everyone I gifted it too. I think that the pecans and pistachios held the flavor the best, but loved having the variety. I also think that coconut oil would be a great substitution for butter and would add a little more sweetness to go with the spice. However, I have 2.5 lbs. of nuts to get through so it’s going to be a little bit before I make a new batch!
Lynda’s Freakin’ Nuts
- 1 lb. of mixed nuts.
- 2 TB fresh rosemary coarsely chopped
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 TB melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix nuts and spread on cookie sheet. Toast in the oven until they become light golden brown, about 10 minutes
In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, salt and melted butter. Thoroughly toss the warm nuts with the spiced butter and serve warm or at room temperature.
