The holiday season brings friendly gatherings. Friendly gatherings bring the need to feed people. Those people love snacks.
Snacks!
Sweet snacks are in abundance during the holidays but easy, tasty, savory snacks are more difficult, I think, especially snacks that can be made ahead and take absolutely no effort when guests arrive.
I used to just put out a bowl of mixed nuts.
Plain old mixed nuts . . . until I found this recipe, that is. This recipe takes nuts to a whole nother level, as we say at our house, a level that is exceptionally tasty, pretty addictive, not at all healthy, but totally worth the indulgence during this special season.
The recipe for Hot and Spicy Nuts comes from the good old Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. This series of Silver Palate cookbooks was all the rage in the 1980s, which you can see by the shoulder pads and that one hairdo on the cover!
I’ve been making these spicy nuts for all those years and, even in the years when we do the absolute least for Christmas, I take the (minimal) time to make these.
Here’s the basic recipe, as it came out of the cookbook. I’ll follow with some comments.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1½ cups mixed unsalted roasted nuts
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over low heat.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the nuts and coarse salt.
- Simmer over low heat for several minutes to combine flavors.
- Add the nuts and stir until evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
- Toss the nuts with the coarse salt and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
My Notes:
- I’ve never used celery salt. I didn’t the first time and didn’t miss it so I’ve never used it.
- Use the nuts you like. I use unsalted cashews, pecans, and peanuts that I get in the bulk section of the grocery store. I also use sesame sticks and love them!
- Don’t bother making a single batch. Trust me and do at least double the amount.
- The kosher salt gets added at the end. I let the nuts cool for a few minutes then put the salt into a big paper bag, add the nuts, and shake it all up.
- Be careful about the amount of salt!! The recipe calls for a tablespoon but, even though I LOVE salt and often go looking for it, that is too much. For a doubled recipe, I use only 1.5 teaspoons.
- Make sure the nuts have completely cooled before you sample them and judge. They need to cool to be crispy and crunchy.
Make them today, to be sure you like them. Serve them when you put up your Christmas decorations. Serve them when you take the decorations down.
Serve them when carolers come over, at the Christmas Eve soiree, and let people snack before Christmas dinner.
Serve them for every college bowl game.
Serve them on Boxing Day, just because.
They are perfect for New Year’s Eve and super-perfect for your Super Bowl football party!
I already made a bunch of these . . . and they are gone. That is unacceptable so I’ll be making more soon. Will you join me?
Those look really good. I was surprised that there was no sugar in the recipe. Everything has sugar these days. I eat a lot of raw nuts so this could be a different version. I’m just quite the lazy cook so I will have to see if I get there. There are almost no cookbooks on my selves. 😦
I like these nuts specifically because they aren’t sweet. Not that I don’t like sweet but a really strong, savory snack appeals to me more.
These sound delicious. And sinfully moreish. I’ll be giving them a try in large quantities!
I think you’ll like them! My husband eats some and says, “hmmm–that tastes like more”! I like the phrase “sinfully moreish!”
I’d love to join you! I’m sure they go well with martinis.
And thanks for the tip on the salt. I’m going to try these…
I think they would be flat out amazing with a martini. and they are salty enough that we might need two . . .
Got to try this!! I think I’ll put out one bowl of plain mix nuts and one of these spicy ones , then sit back to watch the reaction!!
That sounds like fun! Some people won’t like this recipe–it isn’t for the faint of heart. But those who like it will love it!
Kerry, this is fascinating – I make this recipe up quite often. My recipe came to me when I gave up sugar and wheat from my diet about four years ago and a couple of cookbooks landed on my counter form the book publisher daughter to help me on my way…… It has to be a good recipe if it has survived the decades and crossed fads and fancies as well doesn’t it! We’ll both be nibbling savoury nut mixes over Christmas – you in the snow, me in the sunshine (I hope!) 🙂
I have used and other nut snack recipes to good effect, and find that a nicely packaged bag of them makes a good hostess gift that’s an alternative to cookies or other sweets..
Absolutely! Such a better gift than yet another bottle of generic wine . . .
That looks delicious Kerry! Eager to try it😊
Let me know if you do! I need to make more soon . . . .
I like the festive towel under the bowl in the first picture! The nuts would make me thirsty and then I would need one of those drinks! 🙂
Oh, good for you, focusing in on that towel! Isn’t it gorgeous? Swedish helinne–most beautiful linen ever.
They look delicious, and I love nuts but only eat them when we are out.. We are a nut free household because of our grandson’s nut allergies. 🙂
No nut recipes for you! Share the recipe with a friend who is having a party–then you can try the nuts when she serves them!
Ahh, The Silver Palette! I keep my copies at the cabin now.
I still have my copies, even though I almost always find recipes on the internet now. They were a sensation in their day!
Yes! Sounds wonderful ….. and easy.
Yes . . . and yes! My kind of recipe!
I love nuts, and eat them regularly, so I am eager to give these a try.
The recipe takes nuts up a notch, and make them more sinful . . . but so yummy!
I did give them a go, and love them! Thank you! However, as is my way, I changed the spice mixture to cumin, cinnamon and Chinese 5 spice, and didn’t add the extra salt at the end. I think the macadamia nuts are my favourites.
Your combination sound good, too, and it never occurred to me to use macadamias. They go in the next batch!
This does look an easy recipe and I might have a go!
If I can make it, Clare, it’s easy! Give it a try!
This. sounds. fabulous! I’ve copied it out. Loved the Silver Palate cookbooks (wicked recipe for blueberry cornbread muffins), but never made these!
Let me know if you try it! I haven’t made those muffins but if you say they’re good, I’ll try them!
They’re fabulous, but part of that is the butter!
I do love butter . . .
Yum, make those and report whether you liked them!!!
Oh YUM!!!
Yum to the nth power, in my book!
I’ll join you, in a flash.
Oh, good–I’ll make an extra batch!
Definitely going to try this – they sound yummy!
They pack a punch–very flavorful!
I’m glad you reminded us of ‘ hot and spicy nuts’ , I still have the Silver Palate cookbook(s) and will make a bowl or two of these for our next gathering! The Silver palate cookbooks ( yes, sometime in the eighties) were a bit of the rage in gourmet cooking back then. I still return to them for a few favorite recipes myself! In town this morning…..will be picking up some assorted nuts! happy Holidays, Kerry!!
Oh, good–you’ve had them and liked them! Yes, those cookbooks were a sensation!
Sounds yummy! I will try them!
My favorite is chex mix! Lord I love that. I made a recipe for the 4th of July weekend when we had lots of guests and people loved it.
Love the Silver Palette ladies. Another amazing app recipe is cashew sticks, I think. Can’t remember which book it’s in. Slices of bread rolled in cashew butter and then rolled in the ground nuts.
And bacon with brown sugar….
Same cookbook page 115!
I found the recipe! And I just happen to have cashew butter . . . hmmmmm. And one year I believe I added Chex to my hot and spicy nut mix and that was pretty tasty, too, along with the nuts!
Clearly this is your favorite, and you talk so delectable about it. But I go nuts for nuts au natural! Cheers, Johanna
I do, too, for most of the year! This is just a treat at the holidays–it’s too decadent to keep around!
Kerry, I just read through all 10 of your Advent posts and came back here to comment.
Your first post put into words much of what I feel about Christmas, and this post is familiar because I make a very similar spiced nut each year. I also love to bake my mom’s braided bread.
This year, though, I’m not sure I’ll even get a tree up.
Even if I accomplish nothing else, I always give Advent Calendars to friends and family. It’s such a simple joy to open that door every morning.
I admire that you are keeping a daily Advent post, Kerry. Thank you
These daily posts are getting me in the mood–completely selfish. I hope you get some time for yourself, to really relax and stay in pajamas–it sounds like you’ve been caught up in a whirlwind!
Roasted mixed nuts are always a favorite of mine!