I told you guys last week I’ve been in a fall mood lately… Perhaps it’s because I am so beyond over this stifling humidity this summer! When it’s so hot I can barely breathe outside, that’s enough motivation to stay on the straight and narrow because, as Pastor Sean said last Sunday, “This [outside] is as much of hell as I’m going to experience.” No can do.
In all seriousness though, I think it really is the flavors of fall that are making the season win the top spot in my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about summer fruits and smoothies and ice cream and mint and fruit water and all that jazz… But there’s just something about apples and cinnamon and pumpkin and cloves that’s just warming to the soul.
And somehow, pecans just go with all that. Sweet, cinnamon-y candied pecans, that is. I actually made these initially with the intention of incorporating them into a summer peach pound cake (it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, so you’ll have to give me some more time with that one) but then we kind of ended up just eating them. I can’t even tell you how many didn’t even make it off the baking sheet! They’re a super yummy snack and very easy to make. Just 5 simple ingredients!
They make a great addition to an appetizer spread. Totally planning to have these- and maybe some chocolate almonds… mmmm! – at a hot chocolate party I’m determined to have this fall! Can’t wait!
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup cane sugar (granulated)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 4 cups pecan halves (about 1 pound)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 5 and line a large rimmed baking sheet with a single sheet of aluminum foil. Melt the butter and pour it over the baking sheet until it covers the bottom.
- Whisk together the sugar and spices in a large bowl. Separate the eggs and pour the egg whites into the sugar and spice mixture. Gently stir in the pecans, folding them into the sugar-spice mixture until all are completely coated.
- Bake for 10 minutes at a time, stirring after every 10 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes. The pecans will still look sticky, but after 30 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and onto a wire rack to cool. After 10-15 minutes or so, they'll crisp up and be ready to eat.
[…] these peaches on top of the cake plus the extra slices pureed and blended into the batter PLUS the candied pecans baked on top (which ends up being the bottom) to form the perfect crust… You just can’t […]