Like so many others, my family has its own collection of traditional holiday recipes. Most are known by heart or written in cryptic shorthand on faded recipe cards. In the weeks before Christmas, we divide the usual assignments to make sure everyone’s favorite foods will be on the holiday table.
Of course, it is not the food itself that is important. Family recipes are the true ghost of Christmas past. The smell, taste and even the homemade appearance of our family recipes can transport me right back to Christmas at my grandparents’ house.
On my trips to the past, I can once again feel the warmth of their living room, smell the fresh Douglas fir and holiday cooking, and hear a chorus of laughter — the sort of laughter that comes from people who truly enjoy spending time together.
My grandma used to make all sorts of goodies for Christmas. Busy lady that she was, her specialties were of the no-bake variety. On Christmas Eve, she piled plates and trays with Nanaimo bars, chocolate-covered peanut butter bars, and other assorted bits of deliciousness. I particularly looked forward to her candied nuts with their sugary glaze and warm spices. The best part about the candied nuts was not waiting until dessert to eat them. The sweet treats were often put out in little dishes for snacking both before and after our holiday dinner.
A few years ago, I wanted to make a batch of candied nuts for the holidays so I asked her for the recipe. Unfortunately, though she recalled it being very simple, she couldn’t remember exactly how she made them nor find the recipe amongst her many clippings from years of newspapers and magazines.
Thanks to a bit of inspiration, I have been able to come up with a recipe that, while not exactly the same, is similar enough to spark the memories. I will be giving jars of candied nuts to my family and friends through the holiday season — hopefully sparking a few happy memories in the process.
Sugar &spice candied nuts
Candied nuts are so easy to make. The combination of spices and sugar smells like Christmas and looks beautiful in any container from a jar to a zip-top bag. The recipe, designed to use a single Costco-sized jar of mixed nuts, makes enough for sharing but can be cut if needed.
Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes, Cooling time: up to 1 hour
Makes approximately 14 cups of candied nuts
Ingredients
2½ lbs (9 cups) unsalted fancy mixed nuts (or the nut of your choosing)
6 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp sea salt
1½ tsp ground cloves
6 tbsp vodka
Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
In a large soup pot, pour in the nuts then top with the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-high heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon — the mixture will begin powdery, turn syrupy, then become very thick and sticky (10 to 15 minutes). Remove from the heat when most of the liquid has evaporated.
Turn the candied nuts onto the lined baking sheets and spread into an even layer. Allow the nuts to cool completely before serving or packaging.
Serving 1 oz (approximately ¼ cup): 170 calories, 10 g fat, 1.4g sat fat, 84mg sodium, 18g carbohydrates, 1.6g fiber, 14g sugar, 3.6g protein
— Adapted from Candied Pumpkin Seeds, Eat the Love
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