Rosemary Spiced Bar Nuts

At last, my first recipe that I get to share with you! This idea for a rosemary spiced nut mix came about when I was searching for a new recipe for a sweet and spicy nut blend. I had a vision of the bar nuts from Union Square Cafe in New York. If I can tell you one thing about the bar nuts at Union Square is that they are legendary. They are truly addictive. The perfect balance of sugar and salt...and the cayenne pepper adds a nice added zing. The fresh rosemary adds the most memorable flavor and it creates this flavor combination that is unlike any other nut mix you've probably ever had.

My recipe, however is slightly different. Instead of using brown sugar, I use honey instead. I add egg whites, this helps give off a nice sheen!

Photography: Victoria Christensen

Rosemary Spiced Bar Nuts

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | · 1 cup Almonds, whole

· 1 cup Pecans, halved

· 1 cup Sunflower Seeds

· 1 cup Pumpkin Seeds

· ½ cup Cashews, unsalted

· ½ cup Walnuts, halved

· ½ cup honey

· 2 Egg Whites, beaten

· 1 ½ tsp Chili Powder

· 1 tsp Paprika

· ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

· 1 tsp Cinnamon

· ½ tsp Coriander

· 2 tsp Kosher Salt

· 3 T Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
   

2. In a small bowl, whisk egg whites vigorously until frothy, about 2-3 minutes. In a medium sized pot, add egg whites and honey, whisking constantly over medium- high heat for 3 minutes. (Make sure not to take your eyes off the burner during this step!)

3. Add nuts, chopped rosemary and spice mixture into the saucepan with the honey and egg whites. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes until evenly coated.
   

4. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat (I use a Silpat--check out my Amazon store) or parchment paper. Spread the nuts evenly on the baking sheet and baking for 15 minutes until a medium golden brown.

5. Let nuts cool for about 30 minutes and then break off into small pieces.
   

Chef's Notes:

· Make sure to use unsalted nuts, if possible.

· Be careful not to scramble the egg whites when heating them. Prevent this by constantly stirring the mixture and making sure the mixture doesn’t get too hot. (If the egg whites scramble you can use a strainer to strain the mixture and pour mixture back into a separate sauce pot.)