Sweet Cinnamon Pecans

If I could invite you all over to bask in the sweet smell of cinnamon wafting through my kitchen right now, I still wouldn't (because I'm very busy today and frankly, I don't know some of you).  So let me just tell you, the aroma is almost intoxicating.  I usually make a double batch, put them in pretty tins and give them as gifts around the holidays.  They may not be much to look at (that's where the colorful tins come in), but they're great because they taste good, don't need to be refrigerated and travel well.

 

These are sweet cinnamon (as opposed to spicy cinnamon, like red hots).  Nothing against those, although they do burn my tongue a little (but I'm a wimp, I can't really handle Altoids either).

SWEET CINNAMON PECANS

Yield: 1 pound

1 cup sugar (or any granulated sweetener, like maple crystals)

scant 3/4 teaspoon salt

scant 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 egg white

1 tablespoon amaretto or frangelico (can substitute vanilla extract)

1 pound pecan halves

1.      Preheat oven to 250° F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

2.      In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, salt and cinnamon.

3.      In a separate large bowl, whip together egg white and amaretto until very frothy (just
shy of soft peaks).

4.      Add pecans to egg whites; stir to coat the nuts evenly.  Toss the nuts in the sugar mixture until coated.  Spread nuts on the prepared baking sheet.

5.      Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Let cool completely before sealing in an airtight container.

slightly adapted from allrecipes.com

frothy

pecans coated with sugar (before baking)

 looking festive in a bag with ribbon