Tara’s Favorite Fall Recipes: Spiced Pecans

Although there's practically a thousand reasons to adore autumn, I think one of the strongest for many of us is  the assortment of delicious fall-ish food options. This is definitely my favorite time of the year to bake, braise, and boil. One of my very favorite recipes also happens to be one of the simplest.

I make these every year and just have them on hand for a snack or as an appetizer. People love them. You will, too. Plus they're super easy to make and adapt to your own particular taste. Nuts are fantastic because they taste amazing sweet, savory, and/or a combination of both. So, I play with the spices and also incorporate different kinds of nuts, too.

Spiced Pecans:

Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pecan halves

1/2 c. sugar

1-2 egg whites

1 tsp. water

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Using a fairly large bowl, beat water and egg white until stiff. Add pecans and stir gently until all are well-coated with the water and egg white mixture. In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Then add the coated pecans to the bowl and mix until covered. Place pecans in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in offer. Bake for an hour, making sure to flip them every fifteen minutes.

That's it. How easy is that? Now in full disclosure sometimes I go crazy and add some cayenne pepper, or MORE cinnamon, and sometimes pumpkin pie spice. Again, that's what I love about these--you can really make them your own. Use this recipe as a foundation for your own spiced pecan experiments. Chances are, they'll be delicious. Feel free to try using other nuts, as well.