TO WATCH YOUR FRIENDS attack a bowl of nuts is to watch their true personalities emerge. Do they fish out the pecans and leave the peanuts behind? Or do your friends grab the nuts by the handful and pop them all in their mouths at once— going for the full flavor, the big sensation? Or are they unusually fair-minded individuals who take a handful but eat the nuts one by one, the peanuts penance for the pecans? Well, you could make a batch of nuts that includes only the crowd pleasers—pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, and almonds—but I think a few peanuts keep us all humble.
MAKES 4 CUPS
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups mixed nuts, such as almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large roasting pan or half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Blanch the nuts in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain well.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained nuts with the melted butter, salt, sugar, chili powder, and cinnamon. Toss to coat well. Spread out in a shallow (preferably single) layer in the pan.
- Roast for about 20 minutes, until the nuts are fragrant and lightly colored, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking.
- Transfer the nuts to a large bowl and let cool completely. The nuts will become crisp as they cool.
- Store in an airtight jar for up to 1 week at room temperature or for several months in the refrigerator.
