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Flavored Nuts


prasantrin

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I've been browsing for recipes for spiced nuts (sweet or savoury). Some recipes call for egg whites, and some don't. What purpose do the egg whites serve? Do they help bind the flavourings to the nuts? Or do they make them crispier?

Do the typical bqq peanuts you can get any grocery store or bulk foods place have egg whites or no egg whites?

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My sister-in-law gave me a recipe for spiced almonds which calls for egg whites. They do moisten the nuts and help the seasonings to adhere. It might be a Weight Watchers recipe which would explain using egg whites instead of butter or some other oil. I don't know if they created a crispy coating, but they did help the get a good coating on all the nuts.

KathyM

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I have a recipe for a sweet and salty pecan with cinnamon adapted from Better Than Store Bought - it uses an actual italian meringue. You fold the nuts into the meringue then bake on a pan of melted butter, turning frequently. The egg white serves to allow the spice, sugar and salt to adhere to the nuts, but also serves as part of the crispy coating on the nuts.

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How do nuts made with egg whites compare to nuts made with a recipe like JAZ's seasoned nuts? Has anyone tried a head-to-head comparison?

MelissaH

MelissaH

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Say this five times fast: "A big blue bucket of blue blueberries."

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Looks like I lied when I said it was from Better than Store Bought - actually adapted from one of Maida Heatter's dessert books. And also that it's an italian meringue. Good memory but short.

MashugaNuts

Recipe By : Maida Heatter Best Dessert Book Ever page 287

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 lb pecans

1/2 cup butter

4 egg whites -- or 1/2 cup

1 tsp salt

1 cup cane sugar -- (raw sugar)

5 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 (150). Spread nuts on baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, until hot but not darkened. Set aside to cool.

Add butter to hot pan and let melt.

Beat egg whites and salt to soft peaks, turn down mixer speed and add sugar 1 tbsp at time. Add cinnamon and beat to stiff peaks. Stir cooled nuts into egg whites and spread in clumps over melted butter. Bake for 10 minutes then turn over with spatula. Repeat every 10 minutes until golden and the butter is absorbed, a total of 45 minutes. Turn onto a brown paper bag and cool. Store in airtight container.

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Mashuga Nuts

.......

Kerry shared this recipe with me some years back and I have to tell you that these nuts are AWESOME!

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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How long do those keep? They seem like ideal holiday gifts, but I worry about those egg whites absorbing moisture quickly.

In an airtight container - they keep really well. More than a month for sure.

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Would nuts with egg whites look different from nuts without egg whites?

I like this type of nut http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/bbq.html and this one http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/honey-roasted.html. Neither ingredient list mentions egg whites, but I like this type of nut, too http://shop.merrielynns.com/product.sc?productId=20&categoryId=2 and I always imagined that type would use egg whites.

Thanks for posting that recipe, Kerry! It's on my list of things to make. Question--could it be adapted somehow to make it spicy? Just add cayenne instead of cinnamon? Or would it be too weird with all that sugar?

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Not weird at all! I make spiced nuts for the holidays (no egg whites in the past) that have a variety of seasonings, and the ones with cinnamon, allspice, clove, ginger, and cayenne are usually the biggest hit. No one knows that they've got cayenne in them -- it's just a smidge and I don't advertise it -- but they have a subtle kick to them.

Chris Amirault

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Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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Would nuts with egg whites look different from nuts without egg whites?

I like this type of nut http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/bbq.html and this one http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/honey-roasted.html. Neither ingredient list mentions egg whites, but I like this type of nut, too http://shop.merrielynns.com/product.sc?productId=20&categoryId=2 and I always imagined that type would use egg whites.

Thanks for posting that recipe, Kerry! It's on my list of things to make. Question--could it be adapted somehow to make it spicy? Just add cayenne instead of cinnamon? Or would it be too weird with all that sugar?

Those sure look like they've got egg white on them.

I'm with Chris - go for the spicy - cut back the sugar by half I'd say - use the raw sugar if you can get it - it adds a nice crunch to the coating.

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Would nuts with egg whites look different from nuts without egg whites?

I like this type of nut http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/bbq.html and this one http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/honey-roasted.html. Neither ingredient list mentions egg whites, but I like this type of nut, too http://shop.merrielynns.com/product.sc?productId=20&categoryId=2 and I always imagined that type would use egg whites.

Thanks for posting that recipe, Kerry! It's on my list of things to make. Question--could it be adapted somehow to make it spicy? Just add cayenne instead of cinnamon? Or would it be too weird with all that sugar?

Those sure look like they've got egg white on them.

I'm with Chris - go for the spicy - cut back the sugar by half I'd say - use the raw sugar if you can get it - it adds a nice crunch to the coating.

Do you think all three look like they have egg whites, or just the last one? I kind of thought the first two would have egg whites, but when I checked the ingredients, no egg white was on either list. The third link didn't have any ingredient list at all.

I'll try the recipe with the sugar cut in half plus some cayenne. I've had chocolate with cayenne that I really liked, but I once made pecan brittle with cinnamon and cayenne and I hated it. Luckily, my mother came to visit shortly after I made it, and she loved it. So I might hold off on making the sweet and spicy nuts until just before I leave for the Philippines. That way they won't go stale if I don't like them.

Chris--have you posted proportions for your nuts before? Those sound interesting, too.

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No, I just wing it, adding a bit of this or that until I get it right. For that mix, I usually go light on the cloves, cayenne, and allspice, using the cinnamon as the base spice and adding sugar and salt. Demerara goes well with those guys, as does smoked salt, if you've got any around.

Chris Amirault

eG Ethics Signatory

Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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I've seen a lot that use egg whites, and I would say that part of the reason is to keep them "healthy".

Here is one that I really enjoy, but I've used olive oil instead of butter (and a bit of brown sugar). However, this is more of a "mix", and doesn't adhere as well as egg whites do.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/the-union-square-cafes-bar-nuts-recipe/index.html

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How do nuts made with egg whites compare to nuts made with a recipe like JAZ's seasoned nuts? Has anyone tried a head-to-head comparison?

MelissaH

I've made a few recipes that use egg whites -- savory, with no sugar at all. I always thought the purpose of the egg whites was to make the coating adhere better. In my recipe, the sugar turns into a syrup and accomplishes the same thing (as well as making them sweet, obviously), so I've never considered adding egg white to the mix.

In my experience, recipes that just use oil or butter (no sugar, no egg white) always seem to result in the spices falling to the bottom of the bowl, leaving the nuts underseasoned.

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Would nuts with egg whites look different from nuts without egg whites?

I like this type of nut http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/bbq.html and this one http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/honey-roasted.html. Neither ingredient list mentions egg whites, but I like this type of nut, too http://shop.merrielynns.com/product.sc?productId=20&categoryId=2 and I always imagined that type would use egg whites.

Thanks for posting that recipe, Kerry! It's on my list of things to make. Question--could it be adapted somehow to make it spicy? Just add cayenne instead of cinnamon? Or would it be too weird with all that sugar?

Those sure look like they've got egg white on them.

I'm with Chris - go for the spicy - cut back the sugar by half I'd say - use the raw sugar if you can get it - it adds a nice crunch to the coating.

Do you think all three look like they have egg whites, or just the last one? I kind of thought the first two would have egg whites, but when I checked the ingredients, no egg white was on either list. The third link didn't have any ingredient list at all.

I'll try the recipe with the sugar cut in half plus some cayenne. I've had chocolate with cayenne that I really liked, but I once made pecan brittle with cinnamon and cayenne and I hated it. Luckily, my mother came to visit shortly after I made it, and she loved it. So I might hold off on making the sweet and spicy nuts until just before I leave for the Philippines. That way they won't go stale if I don't like them.

Chris--have you posted proportions for your nuts before? Those sound interesting, too.

Just the last one I think.

Is it polite to ask a man the proportion of his nuts do you think?

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Here's a recipe that does not use egg whites but is still awfully good click. They are great in salads and I make a big batch and freeze them.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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Chris--have you posted proportions for your nuts before? Those sound interesting, too.

Just the last one I think.

Is it polite to ask a man the proportion of his nuts do you think?

I probably should have made it clear I was asking about the tree nuts. :laugh:

Chris--I'd have gone easy on the allspice and cloves, too, but I don't particularly like those spices. I have noticed that in small quantities, however, they can unexpectedly enrich the flavours of a dish.

I'm hoping for some nut experimenting tomorrow. It's rather humid now, though, and I don't want to end up with soft nuts!

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Chris--I'd have gone easy on the allspice and cloves, too, but I don't particularly like those spices. I have noticed that in small quantities, however, they can unexpectedly enrich the flavours of a dish.

I'm hoping for some nut experimenting tomorrow. It's rather humid now, though, and I don't want to end up with soft nuts!

When I look back at a lot of my moms recipes - they use ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg in teaspoons, but the clove and allspice is always a pinch.

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I have always used this recipe from epicurious. It is spicy and uses egg whites. I usually use the large container of mixed nuts from Costco to make it instead of what's called for.

Are the nuts you use the ones that are already roasted and salted? (in the stubby plastic jar)

I think I've got a tub of those somewhere. That would be a great way to use them up if they haven't already gone stale (they'd be a few years old by now).

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I have always used this recipe from epicurious. It is spicy and uses egg whites. I usually use the large container of mixed nuts from Costco to make it instead of what's called for.

Are the nuts you use the ones that are already roasted and salted? (in the stubby plastic jar)

I think I've got a tub of those somewhere. That would be a great way to use them up if they haven't already gone stale (they'd be a few years old by now).

Yes, I think so. I just omit the salt in the recipe since they are already salted.

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Another question, since it's still too humid to do anything.

All the recipes I've seen using egg whites also call for sugar. But what if I want a strictly savoury nut with no sweetness at all? Can I still use egg whites?

Another question, what purpose does boiling the nuts serve? I tried JAZ's recipe once, and I didn't really care for it--I thought because of the boiling water (but it may have been because I don't really like walnuts). They just didn't seem to have that nice toasted flavour, even after I baked them. Could a recipe like that still work if I just skipped the boiling water step?

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Another question, since it's still too humid to do anything.

All the recipes I've seen using egg whites also call for sugar. But what if I want a strictly savoury nut with no sweetness at all? Can I still use egg whites?

Regarding the original posters question of why use egg whites, I think the "why" is because it acts as a glue to adhere the spice(s) to the nuts. When baked, it will dry to a clear coating. Also, egg whites are pretty much neutral in flavor.

So yes, prasantrin, I think you should still use egg whites whether you're making sweet or savory nuts.

 

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