Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

This Spiced Nut Mix is completely addictive! I love the sweet maple glaze, kissed with smoky chipotle, a pinch of cayenne, and finished with crunchy flaky sea salt. Salt, heat, smokey, and sweet - what’s not to love?

Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 cups mixed raw nuts, shelled

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

• 3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• pinch ground cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position.

• In a large bowl, combine dark brown sugar, pure maple syrup, melted butter, chipotle powder, cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, and cayenne pepper,; add nuts and stir until evenly coated.

• Pour nut mixture into an even layer on a parchment-lined half sheet pan; sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway through.

• Remove from oven and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

How to Peel Hazelnuts

If you've ever struggled to remove the pesky skins off toasted hazelnuts, you know it's a maddening process that makes a huge mess.  Little pieces of papery hazelnut skin fly all over the place and no matter how hard you try, you can never get it all off.  But I want to tell you, there's a much easier way.  I shared this technique a couple of years ago when I made Nocciola Baci.  I'd seen Alice Medrich teach Julia Child the technique many years ago.  I'm amazed more people don't know about it.  Since the busy baking season will soon be upon us, I thought now would be a good time to share again.

Start with yummy hazelnuts.  Do you call them hazelnuts or filberts?  

We're going to need boiling water and....

....and baking soda.  Yes, baking soda.  Trust me, it works!

So when the water begins to boil, add the baking soda.  The mixture should bubble furiously.

Add the hazelnuts and boil for a few minutes until the skins are easily removed. 

Be careful, the mixture will foam a lot and it boils over easily.  As you can see in the photo, that happened to me when I turned my back for just a moment.   Don't be alarmed when you notice the water turning black.  Totally normal.

Keep the temp low and stir, stir, stir.  That seems to help keep the mixture from overflowing.  If at any time the bubbles get close to the top of the pan, lift the pan off the heat until the bubbles subside.

The hazelnuts are ready to go when the skin slips off easily.  Looks like mine are ready.  Strain and rinse them in cool water, slipping the skins off as you go.

4 done, 400 more to go.  The hazelnuts are now "blanched".  Allow them to dry and use them as they are or toast them to deepen their flavor.

Toast them in a hot skillet or pop them in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes.   Cool completely before using. 

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• hazelnuts https://amzn.to/3rfHpnD

• nonreactive saucepan https://amzn.to/3Grfndf

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3ob29dY

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/3ISEKGu

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How to Blanch, Peel, or Skin Hazelnuts

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups water

• 3 tablespoons baking soda

• 1 cup hazelnuts

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan.

2. Add baking soda and hazelnuts; boil 2-3 minutes or until skins easily slip off (stir and adjust heat frequently to prevent mixture from boiling over).

3. Strain and rinse nuts under cold water.

4. Pinch skins off nuts; allow to dry completely.

Notes:

• This technique creates a lot of foamy bubbles so use a large saucepan to prevent the chances of the mixture boiling over and making a mess on your cooktop.

• To toast blanched hazelnuts, place on a half sheet pan and bake in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes. Cool completely before using.