5 cups of raw, unsalted nuts (I used pecans, almonds, macadamia, cashews etc)
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (coarse)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons Brown sugar
5 tablespoons soy butter or buttery spread
1 tablespoon water
2- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
-Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
-Line a baking sheet (or 2) with aluminum foil (the nuts should be spread out evenly).
-Heat nuts in a dry skillet, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast & remove from heat.
-In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, spices, brown sugar, salt & the water.
-Add the toasted nuts to the mixture & coat evenly (you may wish to check if you need more salt at this time, i always add more... but that's me).
-Spread evenly onto the baking sheet.
-Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, stirring the nuts 2- 4 times.
-Remove from the oven & let them reduce to warm (do not let them cool all the way!).
-Place into a seal able bag or (better) a container you can shake.
-Slowly add the powdered sugar (1 tablespoon at a time, depending on how sweet you want) & give them a good shake, covering them completely (this adds an additional 'candy' effect & helps keep them from sticking to each other).
-If they appear too white from an over zealous sugar application, sprinkle with some additional water & shake again.
-I also like a lot of spice, so sometimes I'll add some more of the spices while shaking... But once again... that's me & I am scandalous;)
Enjoy!