Maple-Herb Roasted Nuts

After three people consumed almost a quart of these nuts while also eating a meal during a Steelers game, it was decided that they should be called Satan Nuts. As in, all of the temptations of Satan in nut form. As in, “Get thee behind me, Satan Nuts!”

I came across the recipe in its original form at my first-ever cooking class, a demonstration class that was my birthday gift from my Mom at Jungle Jim’s* in Cincinnati. Our class was about cooking with maple syrup. There were a few other recipes that I’m still playing with, but these nuts were the one that I realized that I would need to make again that very day. Mom had a party that night, and despite many other delectable treats, we all stood around eating these nuts.**

What makes them so addictive? It’s that sweet-salty combination made deliciously complex by the addition of freshly chopped herbs. You can make this with any combination of nuts and herbs, but I find myself aiming for the cashews and almonds every time and couldn’t imagine them without rosemary and thyme. The prep couldn’t be much easier – just toss and bake – and I’m willing to bet you won’t be able to keep your hands off them.

To whit: I took my personal stash of these nuts on a trip this weekend. Driving down the parkway, I opened the container, had a few nuts, then closed it. Not one minute later, I opened it again, ate a few more, and sealed it back up. After 15 more repetitions of this cycle, I realized my only hope was to put the nuts outside of my grasp. In a nut-eating panic, I thrust the container as far behind my seat as I could.

This all happened in as long as it took to drive from the Squirrel Hill Tunnel to the turnpike – not even 20 minutes. And I wasn’t even hungry at the time.

Get thee behind me, Nuts!

Little bits of herbs and salt trapped in a matrix of butter and maple syrup encasing golden roasted nuts!

Maple-Herb Roasted Nuts

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (do not use the fake “pancake syrup” gack!)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, basil, savory, oregano or marjoram
5 cups mixed raw, unsalted nuts – cashews, almonds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, etc.
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easier cleanup).

In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and herbs. Add the nuts to the bowl and stir until well combined. Spread the nuts on the baking sheet, and into the oven we go!

Roast the nuts for 30 minutes, then give them a stir and a toss on the pan. Roast for a total of 45 – 60 minutes, or until the nuts are golden under the skin but not cooked all the way through. (You might have to sample one to tell.) Because of the water content in the butter, they might still look a little wet, but they will dry out as they cool. If you bake these too long, the maple will harden into a sort of candy and the nuts will get harder. It’s still delicious but a bit rough on the teeth.

Salt when warm to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature – both are delicious. Store in an airtight container for 7-10 days.

*Jungle Jim’s deserves its own post – or two! – so I won’t go into it here, but suffice to say that it’s probably the largest, most awesome grocery store within 6 hours of Pittsburgh. In terms of sheer size, it puts the Giant Eagle Grocery Hangar to shame.

**These nuts. Heheh. This post is going to get stuck in spam filters.

Tagged as: maple syrup, nuts