Favorite Spiced Pecans

A holiday recipe handed down from Great Aunt Susie, these spiced pecans are the snack that vanishes from the bowl before dinner is served. Whole pecans get tossed in beaten egg, then coated in a warm blend of sugar, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and allspice before a slow turn in the oven.

That egg coating is the secret to the texture. As the pecans bake, it sets into a crackly, frosted shell that locks the spiced sugar onto every nut, the same trick behind classic mall-style candied nuts.

Low and slow is the way. A long, gentle bake dries the pecans out so they turn shatteringly crisp instead of chewy, and it keeps the sugar from scorching. Stir them once or twice so they coat evenly, then let them cool completely on the pan, where they finish crisping. Store them airtight and they keep for weeks, ideal for gifting.

Kitchen Tips

• The egg coating creates the crackly candied shell, so make sure every nut is coated before adding the sugar mix.
• Bake low and slow so the pecans dry and crisp without the sugar scorching, stirring once or twice.
• Cool them completely on the pan. They crisp up as they cool, then store airtight.

Variations

• Add a pinch of cayenne for a sweet-and-spicy version.
• Use the same coating on walnuts, almonds, or a mix of nuts.
• Swap cinnamon for the allspice for a classic cinnamon-sugar pecan.