Mississippi Spiced Pecans

From EatingWell: November/December 2007 — Subscribe Now!

Make plenty of these mildly sweet and salty nuts—they are great to have on hand over the holidays.

4 cups

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Low carbohydrate | Low cholesterol | Low saturated fat | Heart healthy | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

1 pound pecan halves
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon piment d'Espelette, (see Tip) or a pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spread pecans on a large baking sheet. Roast until fragrant, about 12 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
Combine brown sugar, salt, thyme, rosemary, pepper and piment d’Espelette (or cayenne) in a small bowl. Transfer the roasted pecans to a large bowl, drizzle with oil and toss well to coat completely. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and toss again. Serve warm or let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Tip: Piment d'Espelette is a sweet, mildly spicy chile pepper from the Basque region of France, ground into a powder. Find it online at spanishtable.com.

Nutrition

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 107 calories; 11 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 53 mg sodium; 58 mg potassium.

Exchanges: 2 fat