Rosemary Spiced Nuts
Warm mixed nuts tossed with brown butter, rosemary, and a touch of cayenne
- 2 cupsmixed nuts(almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews)
- 3 tbspunsalted butter
- 2 tbspfresh rosemary(finely chopped)
- 2 tbspbrown sugar
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 0.25 tspcayenne pepper
- 0.5 tspsmoked paprika
Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks. Re-crisp in 300°F oven for 5 minutes if needed.
- 1Preheat oven to 325°F and line baking sheet with parchment
- 2Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat
- 3Continue cooking until butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 3 minutes
- 4Remove from heat and stir in rosemary, brown sugar, salt, cayenne, and paprika
- 5Toss nuts in brown butter mixture until evenly coated
- 6Spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet
- 7Bake 15-18 minutes, stirring halfway, until fragrant and toasted
- 8Cool completely on pan - nuts will crisp as they cool
- 9Break apart any clumps before serving
Watch butter carefully - it goes from brown to burnt quickly. Fresh rosemary is essential; dried won't release its oils properly. Cool completely before serving or storing. The nuts will seem soft when hot but crisp as they cool. Customize spice level to taste.
Spiced nuts have been a cocktail party staple since the mid-20th century. The combination of rosemary with brown sugar and cayenne became popular in the 1990s through upscale restaurants and caterers, who discovered that warm, fragrant nuts were the perfect accompaniment to cocktails. They make an ideal make-ahead appetizer that improves as flavors meld.