Caramelized Cashews with Cayenne

Forks are being funky - I give this a four of four! Just terrific. After we had them with Thanksgiving cocktails, I ordered a huge can of gorgeous cashews from Bazzini to make a ton. Do use the parchment for ease of cleaning, just pull it off and let them cool on it on the counter. I weighed out 12 ounces per batch and that worked perfectly with the maple syrup called for. Everyone is getting these for a holiday present this year, along with Smoky Whisky Balls from Saveur - adult treats for everyone to drink a lot this holiday season.

• juliehh

• Asbury Park NJ

• 12/19/2020

I love these, but I add less salt - 3/4 tsp, more cayenne - 1tsp, and I think I prefer them without the cumin seed, but both ways are good.

• ng1417

• San Francisco, CA

• 11/6/2015

新去螺母配方在我们的房子里。我已经做了a few substitutions like adding pecans and sunflower or pumpkin seeds and sprinkling a Tbsp of black sesame seeds for crunch and interesting visual. Also, I use this reusable parchment baking sheet http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Supply-Inch-Parchment-Paper/dp/B00004RKFR/ref=sr_1_20?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1376277393&sr=1-20&keywords=Paper baking sheet

• tasya1202

• Minneapolis, MN

• 8/11/2013

We made these twice and they were a huge hit both times. Double the cayenne. Don't use cumin powder if at all possible. The taste may be the same, but the little crunchy bits from the seeds adds much-desired texture. Cook a little longer than you think you should. The nuts have a good buffer from the maple syrup, so they won't burn, and if you don't cook it enough, the syrup will make them stick together. Don't make more than a day ahead. They'll form into a sticky ball and you'll end up chiseling them apart because you won't be able to stop eating them. Out of the thirty or so people who've tried these, only one thought they were "too weird" and didn't like them. Everyone else went nuts for them.

• peteandcathy

• Gainesville, VA

• 2/25/2013

通常喜欢冒险的味道(和铜的情人min), i thought this had great potential. But i was wrong. Granted, I used a mixture of nuts but I don't think that was the problem... the cumin was overpowering and even when i diluted the recipe it didn't improve. When i tried to sweeten it more to balance, also didn't improve. I love epicurious and usually find so many great recipes here but this one is a pass for me.

• Anonymous

• 1/16/2013

This is a really easy and really really good recipe. I ended up using Grade B maple syrup, and they caramelized nicely. These are sweet with just the right hint of heat. The cumin seeds complimented the spicy-sweet flavor well.

• tastysausagerecipe

• Brooklyn, NY

• 7/12/2012

Delicious and easy. A keeper!

• Anonymous

• Portland, OR

• 4/19/2011

The most difficult part of this recipe was washing the spoon used to stir the nuts during baking. Other than that, the recipe is simple and delicious. Parchment paper makes this even simpler - no need to transfer to aluminum foil.

• Anonymous

• Youngstown, NY

• 2/28/2011

Awesome recipe! I just modified it a bit for ease of preparation and to add to the yumminess factor. First of all, I subbed about 3/4 tsp. ground cumin for the cumin seeds, and added some freshly ground black pepper for more kick. Mixed these spices plus cayenne into maple syrup, then tossed in about 3 cups of mixed nuts: cashews, pecans, and almonds(all from Costco). Spread it out on parchment(wax) paper - no need for foil and spray oil! Left it in the oven for about 25 minutes on 350 degrees, tossing every few minutes. Sprinkled some kosher salt on top when almost done. Then let it cool for half hour on wax paper in cookie sheet. They were absolutely divine, especially the pecans! ENJOY!!!!!

• Sarahty

• Brooklyn NY

• 12/13/2010

Delicious recipe...one comment tho. You can stretch the recipe by either reducing the maple syrup or if you need a lot, for a party, then just increase the nuts, cumin, cayenne and salt. For example, I just made it with a huge bag of Costco almonds. Used 1/2 c Maple syrup, and tripled the seasonings. Excellent!!!

• trudisvenson

• Portland, OR

• 8/26/2010

These are so easy and a bit unusual in a delicious way. I was not able to find grade B maple syrup so I bought the darkest grade A. It's fine, but I can see why the more intense maple flavor of the B grade would be an improvement. I would not substitute ground cumin for the seeds. You would take away that little extra dimension of crunch that the seeds provide.

• tulsabelle

• Elk Grove, CA

• 7/2/2010

Super easy and crazy tasty! The only problem I had was keeping sneaky fingers away before the party...they could have easily been eaten up right off the baking sheet! I used ground cumin, instead of the whole seeds and covered the baking sheet in foil for easy cleanup! Aside from the cashews, I always have the ingredients in stock. An easy, versatile crowd pleaser.

• oaklandgirl

• 6/19/2010

yum...!!!

• Anonymous

• 5/26/2010

A great snack and appetizer to have sitting out in bowls at a party. I saved the salt and added it after removing the nuts from the oven. I used ground cumin rather than cumin seed. Easy and great for making ahead of time.

• Anonymous

• St. Paul, MN

• 4/23/2010

The technique was great but the cumin seed was way too overpowering. I would leave it out next time and use crushed black pepper instead.

• Anonymous

• Wylam, Northumberland

• 4/18/2010