Help - candied/sugared pecans, how to do it?

[David M. Bueker]

I want to make a salad this weekend that has baby spinach, candied pecans, blue cheese and some EV olive oil. Any ideas on how to make the pecans? Should I just scour the stores to buy some?

Here’s a recipe for almonds that should also work for pecans:

amandes caramélisées

45 grams water
80 grams granulated sugar
100 grams whole, raw almonds with skins

1. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Place water and sugar in a copper pot and bring to a full boil over medium-high heat. Add almonds and stir to coat.
3. Continue stirring until the water evaporates completely and the sugar recrystallizes. Continue stirring until the sugar melts. As soon as the color of the sugar changes from clear to golden brown remove from heat and spread the caramelized nuts onto the parchment covered baking sheet.

Yield: about 1 cup.

Yes, we use that same method on pecans. The chef at my workplace makes a killer salad with them!

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks - now that'll be a first for me, weighing water.

[David M. Bueker]

Could I add a little cinnamon or other spice (even pepper!) to the water/sugar or will it just burn and taste nasty?

Della (our chef) always uses cinnamon in hers. Sometimes she gets really decadent and browns them in butter in which she has melted the sugar.

Thanks - now that'll be a first for me, weighing water.

45 grams of water equals 3 tablespoons. Because of my restaurant training I tend to weigh everything. For this preparation, I just place the whole saucepan on the scale and measure directly into it.

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks all. They came out really well. Not perfect, but really well.

I can't wait to have that salad on Saturday!

I make mine as suggested above, and I love a salty, sweet and spicy nut. I add salt, sugar, cinnamon and cayenne. Oh yum!

Oh I forgot, try adding some small diced red onion and some hard boiled egg, chopped, to that salad one time. Excellent with Girard's Spinach Salad dressing....the only commercial salad dressing I love!

Thanks - now that'll be a first for me, weighing water.

No need to weigh. 45 grams water is the same as 45 milliliters, by definition (at least, if the temperature is 20 degrees C, but the difference is negligible at common room temps).

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks - now that'll be a first for me, weighing water.

No need to weigh. 45 grams water is the same as 45 milliliters, by definition (at least, if the temperature is 20 degrees C, but the difference is negligible at common room temps).

-Paul W.

Well that is true (and the old ditty "a pint's a pound the world around" was running through my head), but since I weighed the pecans and sugar it was really no big deal.

And by the way, even a relatively plain sugared pecans (no cinnamon or pepper) these things are sickeningly delicious. Bet you can't eat just one!

I am late to this, but I learned a trick from Cook's Illustrated or that other mag of theirs...the more "everyday" one...Whisk up an egg white and soak the nuts in there for about 5 minutes. Drain them. Toss with the spice/sugar/whatever mixture. Lay the nuts on pan, bake in slow oven until nice and toasty...

The egg whites got the spices to cling so well...I will never do them again without this step.

b

[David M. Bueker]

I like that idea Barb. Sounds like less chance for burning sugar.

That was the reason mine came out good but not great. I was worried about burning the sugar, so I stopped just a touch too soon. Some of the pecans are really shiny and some are still kind of grainy. But they all taste good!

Just have to add my two cents here. The easiest and best method I have found for this came from an Elinor Klivens Washington Post article.

You simply pour some maple syrup over the pecans and stir until completely coated. Then arrange the nuts on a cookie sheet on a well oiled (or cooking sprayed) piece of foil. Sprinkle with salt and a little cayenne pepper, and bake for about 5-7 minutes at 350.

When they are still slightly warm, stir them around so they don't completely stick together. Let cool. They are always perfect.

[Jenise]

When they are still slightly warm, stir them around so they don't completely stick together. Let cool. They are always perfect.

Carrie, I always do the butter/sugar skillet method (with salt and pepper when it's for salad use, without if I'm going to sprinkle them on ice cream) but I like your idea best of all. Would add that in my experience it's best to let nuts done this way dry/cool on a piece of wax paper. They won't stick to the wax, and you can clean up the baking pan before the syrup hardens.