Here’s a wonderful, tasty recipe for a nutty appetizer that you can set out in a cute appetizer bowl for the next time you have guests over. They will disappear like magic. This simple recipe makes 3 1/3 cups.

What you need for the Maple Pecan Appetizer:
- 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 3 1/3 cups of pecan halves

Wilton Easy Flex Silicone 10-Inch by 15-Inch Mat

What to do:
Melt the butter, syrup, salt and cayenne pepper in a pan over a low heat.

Add the pecans and stir to mix all the ingredients. Leave the mixture on the heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread the spicy pecan mixture on a silicon baking mat, parchment paper, or piece of foil to cool.

Arrange the sticky pecans in bowls to serve.

Helpful tools:
Silicon baking mat

For more nutty and fruity snacks, check out Snack Mixes and enjoy!

Photograph by Lara Robby/Studio D

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Whole ingredients of Garam Masala - Image via Wikipedia

Read this article recently from the CBS News website and had to share it. Just sounded so yummy. I have the girls coming over next week and this will be one of the recipes I make… try it out and tell me what you think!

On The Early Show Friday, cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie showed how to easily put together dishes that will delight your guests.

Indian Spiced Nuts
This snack satisfies Ritchie’s salt requirement. It’s easy to make an ordinary can of mixed nuts into something special. With this recipe, you simply toss the nuts with a little butter and some spices, then roast them in the oven for about 20 minutes. The nuts can be served warm or at room temperature. Although Ritchie uses Indian flavors, you can substitute other flavors if you wish. For example, using rosemary, lemon and garlic would make yummy Italian-flavored nuts.

The garam masala Ritchie suggests is a spice mixture similar to curry powder. The spice and other flavoring ingredients are added to the nuts.

Mixed nuts offer the most choices for your guests, but if a single nut — cashews, peanuts or almonds — is your favorite, roast it alone with the same spice mixture. In every case, be sure the nuts are fresh. Vacuum-packed tins labeled with expiration dates are usually good guarantees of freshness, as are nuts sold in bulk at a market with a high turnover. The nuts are roasted at a relatively low temperature to avoid burning and to give them time to absorb the fragrant spices.

2 cups lightly salted mixed nuts
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbs. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat an oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

In a bowl, toss together the nuts, butter, ginger, garam masala, cumin and cayenne until the nuts are evenly coated with the spice mixture. Spread the nuts out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Roast the nuts, stirring 1 or 2 times, until golden and fragrant, 20 to 22 minutes. Immediately transfer the nuts to a bowl and serve warm or at room temperature.

You can also roast the nuts up to 24 hours in advance and store them, tightly covered, at room temperature. To serve them warm, spread them on a baking sheet and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes. Serves 8.

Variations:
Chili-Spiced Nuts: Omit the ginger. Add 1 Tbs. chili powder and increase the cumin to 1 tsp.

Italian-Spiced Nuts: Substitute hazelnuts for the mixed nuts, if desired. Omit the ginger, garam masala and cumin. Add 1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary, 1 tsp. grated lemon zest and 1/2 tsp. finely chopped garlic.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Roasting, by Rick Rodgers, Melanie Barnard & Bob & Colleen Simmons (Oxmoor House, 2004).

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For more easy appetizer recipes check out our Holiday Appetizers page.