Hot Peppered ‘Killer’ Candied Pecans (Walnuts)

Hot Peppered ‘Killer’ Candied Pecans
or Walnuts…

Get Killer Pecans from http://www.killerpecans.com

My friend and co-bartender, Robert brought me to the Killer Pecan factory in Dallas, Texas and a love was born!  They are truly the Absolute Best!  If you don’t order the originals or just want to make your own, then use this as a base recipe and let’s get started….

Perfectly served with Martinis. . .

Ingredients:

2  Cups          Raw Pecan Halves  (In Texas, you can just pick them up from your neighbor’s yard!)
OR
2  Cups          Raw Walnut Halves

3/4  Cup        Sugar

2  Tbsp          Sugar, additional

2  Tbsp          Butter, unsalted

1  tsp              Kosher Salt

1/2  tsp          Cumin, ground

1  tsp               Black Pepper, freshly ground

1/4  tsp           Cayene Pepper

optional:

1/2  Tbsp       Paprika, smoked

1/4  tsp           White Pepper

1/4  tsp           Accent  (MSG)

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees (F).  Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper.

Place 3/4 Cup of the Sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet and cook over high heat, stirring until it turns a light caramel color.  Usually 4-5 minutes.

Add the Butter and stir until melted.

Stir in the Nuts and coat evenly with the mixture.  Remove from heat.

Coat Evenly

Transfer the Nuts to the prepared sheet and arrange in a single layer.  Place in the oven and bake, tossing every 5 minutes until the Nuts are toasted.  About 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and pour the Hot Nuts in to a medium sized bowl.  Add the Salt, Cumin, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper (Smoked Paprika, White Pepper and MSG if opted) and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Sugar and Very Quickly toss the Nuts  (like flipping pancakes) again and again to coat them evenly.

Immediately transfer the Nuts to another baking sheet, lined with Parchment Paper, and separate the individual Nuts with a fork.

Parchment Paper is your friend!

Allow to cool completely…..

Serve or package festively for a wonderful gift!

That’s a version of ‘Killer’ Pecans from JW8…..

Hot Peppered Candied Nuts make a wonderful gift!

As you can see, this recipe can be moderated easily to accommodate your individual tastes.  Candied Walnuts are especially delicious when combined with steamed, shredded Brussel Sprouts and Bacon as a side dish (My Favorite and can be cooked in a ZipLock Bag in the Microwave ~ No one will ever know)…

What a wonderful gift or Salad Topper or …. ….. …… …… !  The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!

Enjoy from JW8!

Blue Cheese Macaroni Salad

Blue Cheese Macaroni Salad
Goes Great with the Kentucky Pork Chops…

First of all, I don’t mean to insult anyone by posting a recipe for a Pasta Salad!  They are, after all, the easiest creations that usually only require you to Boil Water, Stir and Chill….   I am, however, posting this one for it’s simplicity and as a BASE recipe.  BASE, meaning that you can change, add or delete any part of it and it will still be a Cold Pasta Salad!

I do like the purity of the taste here.  This is a simple salad with a very clean Roquefort taste.

The picture on this post has additional ingredients added.  If I took a picture of this actual recipe then it would just look like cold noodles…..

Blue Cheese Macaroni Salad

Very Good, Easy and Worth Making:

Ingredients:

4     Ounces     Elbow Macaroni

1/2  Cup            Mayonnaise, reduced fat

1/2  Cup            Walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2  Cup            Seedless Grapes, halved

1 1/2  tsp           Dijon Mustard

1-2  Ounces     Blue Cheese, crumbled

Procedure:

Cook Macaroni according to package directions, drain and set aside to cool.

Mix together:  Mayonnaise, Walnuts, Grapes, Mustard and Blue Cheese.  Combine with cooled pasta and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves  4.

That’s Blue Cheese Macaroni Salad from JW8…