Beep-beep! Special delivery for all those on Santa’s ‘nice’ list!
These salty-sweet pecans make great little stocking stuffers (or for stuffing into your purse when you’re marathon Christmas shopping and need a snack – guilty!). These start out on the stovetop for a quick toss in a brown sugar-spice mixture, and then they’re finished in the oven. Your kitchen will smell heavenly during this process, and the most difficult part is trying not to eat all of them before you get them packaged for gift giving.
Five spice powder can usually be found at Asian markets or in the international section with the Asian foods at grocery stores. It’s most commonly a mix of the following 5 spices: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, sichuan pepper and fennel seeds.
Much as I love these to give, they’re also pretty darn nice to have sitting on the coffee table. They’re a nice pick-me-up on a grey winter day.
My next batch will be tossed with a handful of candied orange peel. I think candied ginger would be right at home with these too. Enjoy!
Five Spice Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons five-spice powder
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a medium saucepan, warm 4 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar, 4 teaspoons water, 1 1/2 teaspoons five-spice powder; stir until sugar dissolves and mixture bubbles. Add 2 cups pecan halves; cook, stirring until pecans are thickly coated, about 3 minutes. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bake 5-8 minutes,or until fragrant and crisp. Cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container, or place 1/2 cup portions in four cellophane bags and tie with festive ribbon.
A great gift idea! I love candied pecans.
Cheers,
Rosa
Yum! These sound absolutely perfect for a holiday treat! 🙂
Dani | http://www.styledvariety.com
I love Chinese Five Spice. What a great seasoning for pecans. Love this idea.
And, you present everything so beautifully, Heather! I love your clip of the VW bus!
Such a great gift idea, and I love that these have Chinese Five Spice in them – that definitely sets them apart from all the other candied nut recipes out there. I definitely have to give this one a try! 🙂
Love the VW too:)
My friend Nancy had the real thing:)
This looks yummy! I think it will make an nice addition to my holiday baking.
This will work with a mix of nuts as well, right? 🙂 Pecans, almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts all together in one bag!
The nut mixture looks fabulous, but let's talk about the fun holiday scalloped box. What's the source for the box?
They are from Wilton. You may be able to find them at craft stores, but Amazon also has them. Here's the link! They come with the plastic bags, too! http://amzn.to/1HLsGGd
Can I ask whereally the cute cardboard containerso are from?
Wilton sent them to me last year when I was a brand ambassador. You can find them for purchase here: http://amzn.to/1HLsGGd
I love your new series on homemade gifts! I am doing an all-homemade theme this year for my gift giving and these are all such great ideas! I think I'll make these for my mom, where did you get those cute paper containers for holding the pecans?
Thank you! Wilton sent them to me last Christmas. You may be able to find them locally at craft stores, since most carry Wilton cake decorating products, or you can order them online. Amazon carries them. http://amzn.to/1HLsGGd