Spicy Smoky Pecans Food

SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Mix the salt, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and orange peel together in a small bowl and set aside.
• Place the nuts in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes until they just start to brown and smell toasted. Add the butter and stir until it melts. Add the spice mixture and stir to combine. Once combined, add both sugars and water, stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the nuts, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the nuts to the prepared sheetpan and separate them with a fork or spatula. Allow the nuts to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Can be stored up to 3 weeks.

STOVETOP SMOKED PECANS

Steps:

• Place the pecans in a bowl. Pour the oil, sugar, paprika, salt and pepper over the pecans. Stir to combine.
• Place a heavy-bottomed pot on the stovetop, and have on hand a pasta pot insert or a steamer basket that fits inside this pot, and a tight-fitting lid. Line the bottom of the pot with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Fill the bottom with the drained wood chips. Top with the pasta pot insert or the steamer basket. Place the pecans in the insert. Turn the heat to medium-high. As soon as smoke is visible, place the lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Smoke the pecans for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and pour the warm pecans on a serving platter. (Allow the wood chips to cool completely before discarding.) If making ahead, store the pecans in an airtight container.

HOT AND SPICY PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, mix butter, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Stir in the pecans, and gently toss with chili powder to coat.
• Spread coated pecans on a medium baking sheet, and cook 30 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring approximately every 10 minutes.

SPICY SMOKY S'MORES BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with foil. You want to leave about 4 inches of overhang on the 2 opposite sides. These are going to serve as your handles to remove the bars from the pan in 1 piece, so make sure that there is enough of the overhang for you to have a solid grip. Grease the foil well with the softened butter.
• In your food processor, grind the graham crackers into a fine meal (you need 2 cups). In a large bowl, combine your crumbs with the sugar, sea salt and melted butter. The mixture should look and feel like wet sand. Set aside a heaping 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Evenly press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom the foil-lined pan. Pop your crust into the oven and bake until it is golden brown and your kitchen smells of graham crackers, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool on a rack or on a dishtowel on your counter.
• Melt the milk chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously until fully melted. Do not turn up the heat to hurry this process, you must keep it on low. Alternately, you can microwave the chocolate on low power, stirring after 2 minutes. Once the chocolate is fully melted, it's time to add the chipotle pepper powder, if using, and stir it in completely.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled graham cracker crust. Spread the chocolate evenly over the crust with a butter knife. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the chocolate and press them lightly into the chocolate. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over and in between the marshmallows so that you cannot see the chocolate peaking through the marshmallows. Broil the bars 6 inches from the flame until the marshmallows are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Refrigerate the bars until the chocolate is hard, 2 hours or so. Grab the ends of the foil liner and lift the bars out of the pan in 1 piece. Move to a cutting board and cut into 24 squares.

SWEET AND SPICY CANDIED PECANS - WITH A KICK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine corn syrup and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to baking sheet.
• Place large piece of foil on work surface. Bake pecans 5 minutes. Using fork, stir pecans to coat with melted spice mixture. Continue baking until pecans are golden and coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Transfer to foil. Working quickly, separate nuts with fork. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead- store airtight at room temperature).
• Makes 1 1/2 cups.
• NOTE: Recipe is easily doubled, freezes well in ziplock bags.
• Serve as a snack, topping for appetizers or salads (see my Waldorf Salad recipe #117914) or candied sweet potatoes, -or- give as a gift for the holidays.

EASY SPICY PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Mix all ingredients together and spread out on a cookie sheet.
• Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Do not overbake.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Store in an air tight container.

SPICY SMOKY PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line jelly roll pan with foil. Toss pecans, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke in a bowl. Let marinate at room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Cool slightly. Stir in vinegar, hot pepper sauce, salt and cayenne. Return to skillet to heat. Scrape in nuts and marinade. Stir to coat nuts, about 30 seconds. Return nut mixture to jelly roll pan. Bake until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool. Let stand uncovered 6 hours to dry. (can be made 1 week ahead. Store nuts in air tight container at room temperature)

SPICY PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then stir in sauces and Cajun seasoning.
• Toss pecans with butter mixture in a bowl until well coated. Spread out in a large shallow baking pan and bake until crisp and browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Season lightly with salt, then cool. (Pecans will crisp even more as they cool.)