Bologna to Bolognese : Adventures with Food: Spice up the Holidays

One of my favorite memories of Christmas is making goodies with my mother.
Cookies, Candied Citrus Peel, Hard Tack Candy, and Colorful Chocolates are just a few of the delectable treats we used to make. Then, after everything was done, we'd pile the goodies on plates and dress them up with ribbons and bows to be given to friends for the holidays.

Now that I am older I find myself nostalgic for those homespun Christmas traditions and I am keeping them alive with my own family. Friends, family, and visitors can expect tasty holiday treats made with tons of love!

This year I added a new treat to my repertoire, Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts. These will add some spice to your holidays and make a delightful gift or Hors D'Oeuvres for your holiday festivities.

Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts

Ingredients:

2 cups Roasted Mixed Nuts
1 recipe Spice Mix
1 recipe Glaze

You can roast your own nuts or purchase pre-roasted mixed nuts. I use pre-salted nuts and omit salt from the spice mixture. If you choose to use unsalted nuts you will want to add about a teaspoon of salt to the final spice mixture.

Spice Mixture:

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less to taste)

Glaze:

1 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon canola or corn oil

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, stir together the spice mixture.
In a saucepan, combine the glaze ingredients and bring them to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the roasted nuts and continue to stir until all the nuts are well coated with glaze, about 1 to 2 minutes. Move the glazed nuts to a mixing bowl, sprinkle on most of the spice mix (reserve about 1/2 tbsp), and toss them well to coat. Spread the coated nuts on a foil lined cookie sheet and place them in the oven for about 5 minutes; checking regularly to make sure they don't burn. Remove and let cool stirring often so they do not stick to one another or the foil. Once nuts have cooled place in a clean mixing bowl and toss with remaining spice mix. Makes 2 cups.