The BBQ Report

These nuts have the cinnamon/sugary sweetness, but after awhile the heat sets in. I make these during the holidays for people to munch on and they get gobbled up pretty quick. I always set aside a portion of the batch to bring to the office however, as my co-works are constantly begging for more. If you don’t have a smoker, you can make the non-smoked version of these in the oven.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of mixed nuts
• 6 tbsp. honey
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinammon
• 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• 1 tsp. salt (if using unsalted nuts)

Directions

Start your smoker or preheat the oven to 300°. If you are using a water smoker, leave out the water &em; we want to keep those nuts crunchy. Leave the pan in however, as this will protect the nuts from the fire. Choice of wood is up to you, but I like Pecan or Apple for this recipe.

Combine all the ingredients together. Add salt only if you are using unsalted nuts. Mix well, and you’ll end up with a sticky goo. I find it better to leave the cinnamon and cayenne out until the other ingredients are mixed, then sprinkle them in gradually. This avoids clumps and ensures you someone doesn’t get a mouthful of cayenne. Next, slowly add the nuts, mixing to coat, until all the nuts are covered.

Prepare the pan you want to smoke the nuts in by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the nuts out in a single layer on the pan. Don’t pile them up or they’ll just stick together in a lump, and the bottom layers won’t be exposed to the smoke. If you are using a bullet style smoker, disposable pizza or pie plates work well, though you will probably have to smoke the nuts in several batches. Otherwise, a cookie sheet works well. I like the disposable foil ones.

Smoke (or bake) for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from the smoker and sprinkle immediately with white sugar. They’ll need a good hour or so to cool. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!