one of my (surprisingly few) responsibilities for christmas dinner was spicing and roasting some nuts for everyone to much on while the finishing touches were put on the main show. i rather quickly selected this recipe for the somewhat surprising combination of flavors, and boy and i glad i did! they came out incredible - sweet heat balanced with the citrus and rosemary.
adapted from www.foodnetwork.com
ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups whole raw almonds
1 3/4 cups whole raw cashews
1/4 cup pur maple syrup
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp ground chipotle powder (or more, if you really want a kick!)
2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp salt
directions:
cover baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
in a medium bowl, combine almonds and cashews with vegetable oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder. toss to coat the nuts evenly. add 1 tbsp of rosemary and 1 tsp of salt then toss again.
spread the nuts in one layer on the baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring twice, until the nuts are golden brown.
remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining rosemary and salt. set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
store in airtight container at room temperature.