Chances are, you’ve tried sweet or spicy roasted nuts. Some are made with cinnamon and sugar, while others are spiced with cayenne pepper and garlic. Here, we’ve kept the sweet-meets-spicy flavor you know and love, but given it a major upgrade with the addition of Kalamata olives. We’ll walk you through how to dry the olives before adding them freshly-roasted nuts and a simple spice blend.
Servings: 4 cups
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
3 Tbsp. honey
1 lb. assorted raw nuts (about 4 cups total)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
STEPS
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with parchment paper. Line a tray or another baking pan with parchment paper.
2) Line a microwave-safe plate with two layers of paper towels. Arrange olive quarters in an even layer on prepared plate. Microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until olives look dry, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes (olives will crisp as they cool).
3) Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine honey, oil, and 1/4 tsp. of the salt. Add nuts; stir to coat evenly. Transfer nuts to prepared baking pan. Roast 5 minutes. Remove from oven and stir well. Return to oven; continue roasting, stirring once, until nuts are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more.
4) While nuts are roasting, in a small bowl combine sugar, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt.
5) Working quickly, remove nuts from oven; transfer to prepared tray, leaving excess honey and/or oil in the pan. Sprinkle nuts with dried olives and spice mixture; toss until thoroughly coated. Spread mixture in a single layer; allow to cool completely.