12 Days of Holiday Crafts, Day 5: Spiced Vanilla Pecans

If you’ve been reading for very long, you know that I love food—making, giving, and eating food. Christmas time is, let’s face it, the time to eat and gift all kinds of delicious. There are a few standards that I make every year, one of which was introduced to me by my sister several years ago (thanks, Kathy!). I eat one and I can’t stop—these are dangerous and wonderful.

My favorite nuts are pecans, but mixed nuts can be easily substituted if you prefer.

Spiced Vanilla Nuts

1 pound pecans or mixed nuts
½ cup sugar
2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Blanch the nuts in boiling water for 1 minute and drain well. While still hot, toss blanched nuts in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Let them stand for 10 minutes. Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet in one layer and bake for about 30-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the nuts are golden. Combine spices and toss over nuts. Let cool in a single layer and store in an airtight container. (A jar works great for storage).

I like having a small bowl of Spiced Vanilla Nuts on the coffee table when friends drop in during the season. They’re quite popular—I’ve made four batches so far this season.