Dinner’s Coming Glazed Nuts (Nuts Spiked with Cinnamon and Cayenne) by Cindi Leive from 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know: Engagement Chicken and 99 Other Fabulous Dishes to Get You Everything You Want in Life

Cookbook contributor Salma Abdelnour spent years as an editor at Food & Wine magazine and writes a blog called SalmaLand, where she tells people where to eat out in New York. She’s got serious foodie cred, so when she invites friends over for dinner, they come— hungry. While she’s whipping up something fantastic, like Moroccan couscous with lamb, she puts out this bowl of nuts. A little bit spicy, a little bit sweet, they are the perfect way to stave off hunger. Make ’em yourself— and watch ’em disappear.

Makes 2 ½ cups

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 ½ cups nuts, such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, and/ or cashews (or a mix), shelled

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, spices, and salt.
2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. In a large skillet, heat the butter over moderate heat until melted. Add the nuts and cook, stirring, until darkened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. If the nuts begin to darken too quickly, lower the heat.
3. Add the spice mixture to the nuts, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until richly fragrant and toasted, about 10 minutes longer. You’ve got to watch the pan constantly since you’ll be heating sugar, which burns quickly.
4. Spread the nuts out onto the prepared baking sheet and let cool. Break up the nuts before serving.