An Alternative to Christmas Cookies

These nuts make a great alternative Christmastime treat. I love Christmas cookies (don't get me wrong) but if I eat too many, I feel miserable; and if my kids eat too many, they act miserable!  These nuts have just the right amount of sweetness to make them a treat, but the sugar is well balanced by the protein in the nuts!

"Spicy Nuts"

1T egg white
2 c Pecan
1/4 c sugar
1T cinnamon

Mix 2 cups of nuts with 1 T egg white in a bowl (this works best if you use your hands to make sure that the nuts are evenly coated.

In a separate bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Dump the egg coated nuts into the sugar and toss (again this works best with your hands) until the nuts are coated.

Bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Remove the nuts once they no longer appear wet.

Note: I also made some this year, for me, with coconut sugar (due to my gestational diabetes. They aren't as good, but they do satisfy my desire for something a little bit sweet without causing a spike in my blood sugar. 

These are super easy to make, but can sometimes be a challenge to master... here are a few tips:

1. Sometimes the nuts are drier and seem to absorb the egg white more. If the nuts seem to be on the dry side after tossing with the egg, you may want to add a bit more.

2.  Toss the nuts until all, or just about all, of the sugar and cinnamon mixture is coating the nuts (there shouldn't be any left in the bowl.)

3.  Watch them carefully as they are cooking. Depending upon your oven and the nuts that you buy, the cooking time can vary greatly. I have burned many, many batches of these nuts over the years!

These nuts also make a great gift! I usually give them in tins, but I have been inspired this year to add a crafty touch. (I am not by any means a skilled crafter, so this is about as easy as it comes!)

I'm allergic to peanut butter, so we go through a LOT of cashew butter around here. It's quite pricey, but, at least it comes in a great jar! I decided to repurpose the jars for my nuts this year.

Using a glue gun, I covered the lids with fabric.

And then added ribbon around the edges. The final touch was to search Microsoft Word Clip Art for "Merry Christmas," printed a label and attached it to the jar.

Since I'm not ready to give them away yet, I've displayed them on the windowsill above my sink- I love how pretty they look!