A nutty kind of love

Now that the garden is finally getting some sun,  I am looking forward to having a robust, home-grown supply of fresh rosemary.  Its herbal, sharp character is a welcome addition to version 2.0 of a recipe that has been in heavy rotation at Casa Hobo lately.  A combination of my favourite elements of the Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts recipe and  Dorie Greenspan’s Sweet and Spicy Cocktail nuts, I hope you’ll like them as much as I do.   These are best accompanied by a lazy afternoon on a sunlit porch, a couple of friends, and some vino.

Rosemary and Brown Sugar Spiced Nuts

2 1/4 cups mixed nuts ( such as raw almonds, walnuts and pecans)

1 egg white

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary

1 1/2 -2 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt

1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and set oven rack so that it sits in the middle.

Lightly beat egg white in a medium bowl.  Stir in nuts until evenly coated.

Combine brown sugar, rosemary, salt and cayenne.  Add to nuts and stir to combine.

Lay nuts out in a single layer on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment or a silpat.

Bake 25-30 mins.   Allow to cool – nudging and breaking them apart before serving or storing.