These glossy, burnished, not-too-sweet and not-too-spicy nuts are irresistible. With fresh or dried fruit, they make an elegant dessert. Or add to one of our Fruit & Cheese Plates. A great little something to snack on, too—we like to keep them around to nibble on when supper is a little late. They keep for up to a month.

　　

Ingredients

yields 3 cups

　　1/3 cup sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon black pepper

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　Pinch of cayenne (optional)

　　3 cups shelled nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously oil a baking sheet.

　　

Step 2

In a saucepan on medium-high heat, stir together the sugar, 1/4 cup of water, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir constantly for a minute, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the nuts and mix well to evenly coat them with the syrup. Remove the coated nuts with a slotted spoon and spread them out on the prepared baking sheet.

　　

Step 3

Bake until browned, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once after 5 or 6 minutes. After you’ve taken them out of the oven, stir again to break apart any clusters. Allow the nuts to cool before serving.

　　From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.