I really enjoy making special nut recipes like caramelized peanuts. So when I saw a recipe for spicy and salty and sweet hickory smoked mixed nuts, bar style, I just had to copy it and try it.
I tested the recipe as I found it and it was perfectly awful. So I made major changes.
I won't waste your time describing what did not work. Let's concentrate on the final results and the final, very good recipe.
For nuts you can use raw shelled blanched or unblanched peanuts, raw pecan halves, raw walnut halves, raw almonds, cashew nuts and pistachio nuts. I even tossed in some raw Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for variety.
Note the presence of cayenne pepper in this recipe. You may want to try using less at first than the amount shown in the ingredients list below. The cayenne pepper will assure that any person who eats the nuts will drink lots of beer. Or something else wet and cold.
Note that you will add additional dry powdered sugar that you prepare after the bar nuts are made. Simply powder ordinary granulated sugar using a Magic Bullet® mixer, then put the nuts and the sugar into a one gallon Ziploc® freezer bag, sealing it and then shaking the contents and turning the bag over a few times to coat all surfaces of the nuts with the sugar. Avoid using typical powdered sugar as that product contains cornstarch. Beyond that, if you want to add additional dry seasoning to the nuts then add it to the sugar before you powder it.
The egg whites used in this recipe act as a binding agent to coat the nuts with the seasonings. The baking, of course, cooks the egg whites and the nuts. I recommend purchasing a large container of the Wright's Liquid Smoke® via Amazon® in up to a one gallon quantity as it is stupidly expensive to buy it in small bottles at the supermarket.
Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 pounds of mixed nuts (see the list above)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 tsp. of ground cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. of powdered sea salt
3 tbsp. of ordinary granulated sugar for powdering and then dusting the roasted bar nuts (do not use regular powdered sugar as that product contains cornstarch)
2 tbsp. of Wright's Liquid Smoke®
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F using a convection setting if you have that available. Otherwise use the regular setting.
Whisk the egg whites and the Wright's Liquid Smoke® in an electric mixer bowl on medium high speed, or better, by using a Magic Bullet® mixer. Whisk them until they are foamy. Set that mixture aside.
Process the brown and granulated white sugars and the sea salt in a Magic Bullet® mixer to create a powdered mixture.
Mix the other dry seasonings together in a separate 3 quart bowl, then add the powdered sugars and salt mixture and mix well.
Put the mixed nuts into the dry seasonings bowl and mix well to coat the nuts.
Add the egg whites and Liquid Smoke mixture, tossing gently to make sure all the nuts are coated.
Put parchment paper on two 11"x17" baking trays with raised edges.
Spread the coated nuts evenly over the parchment paper covered trays.
Bake the trays of nuts in the convection oven for 15 minutes or for 20 minutes at the conventional heat setting.
Turn the baking trays around.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes using convection heating, or 20 minutes with the conventional heat setting.
Remove the trays of nuts from the oven and let them cool completely to room temperature.
Separate (break apart) any clumps of nuts into individual nuts or into small clusters.
Put the nuts into a one gallon Ziploc® freezer bag.
Now put the 3 tbsp. of sugar for powdering into a Magic Bullet® mixer and mix for two minutes.
Empty the powdered sugar into the Ziploc® bag and seal the bag. Then shake the nuts and the sugar, turning the bag over a few times, until the nuts are evenly coated.
Serve the bar nuts along with lots of cold beer or other thirst quenching beverages.
Enjoy!