It takes quite a bit of effort to make a batch of these beauties, which is probably a good thing, or I would have made them more than one other time. Seriously... these will disappear so quickly! These candied pecans are the perfect snack food - they're sweet, spicy, salty and crunchy. They're great on their own, on a cheese platter or in the salad recommended below. They aren't too spicy, but they definitely have a kick. My toddler wanted to try one, so I let him eat a tiny piece, and he kept saying, "more cookie!!" - ha! I once again lined my cookie sheet with a Silpat, which made things easier, but it's pretty messy to clean up. Totally worth it though.

Chipotle Chile Candied Pecans
Gifts Cooks Love - Sur La Table

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Active Bake Time: about 1 ¼ hours, stirring every 15 minutes
Makes 1 pound nuts, portioned into four (¼-pound) packages

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 pound large or jumbo pecan halves

Large Rimmed Nonstick Baking Sheet, Measuring Cups and Spoons, Small Bowl, Stand Mixer with Whip Attachment or Hand Mixer, Rubber Spatula

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Have ready a large rimmed baking sheet, preferably nonstick for easier cleanup.

2. Melt the butter on the baking sheet in the oven. Be careful not to let the butter brown. Set aside.

3. Combine the chile powder and brown sugar in a small bowl. Pour the vanilla over the brown sugar. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar mixture 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed to form a strong, shiny meringue. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the nuts until they are well coated.

5. Gently tip the rimmed baking sheet so the butter coats the bottom of the pan. Using a rubber spatula, spread the nuts over the butter, without stirring, to form an even layer without deflating the meringue.

6. Bake the nuts for 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and stir the nuts with a spatula, moving the nuts at the center of the pan to the edges and the nuts at the edges closer to the center. Return the pan to the oven, bake the nuts for 15 minutes longer, and stir them again. Sprinkle the nuts with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.

7. Continue baking, stirring every 15 minutes, until the nuts are separated, have absorbed all the butter and glisten, and are beautifully browned, 45 minutes to 1 hour longer.

8. Immediately turn the nuts out onto a counter lined with a long sheet of aluminum foil, spread them out, and let cool completely.

Recipe card: Create a card to package with gift

Chipotle Chie Candied Pecan, Dried Cranberry, and Crumbled Blue Cheese Salad
Combine a handful of these candied pecans, along with ¼ cup of sweetened dried cranberries and ½ cup blue cheese, with 8 cups of loosely packed mesclun greens. Toss with your favorite vinaigrette and serve Add thin slices of crisp apples or ripe pears, if desired.

Storing: Store in a tightly covered tin or covered glass container. The nuts will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I bookmarked this recipe a while back. I checked out this book from the library and this was the first recipe I bookmarked. I initially thought the book was going to be mostly meat-free recipes with a few meaty ones mixed in, but it turns out that it's more like recipes that use a little bit of meat instead of large amounts, and then there are other ingredients to bulk the recipes up. This recipe tasted really great, but there  was something off with the quantities, and also maybe I didn't cut the cauliflower small enough, and maybe my head of cauliflower was larger than what was called for. Next time, I'd double the mayonnaise part, and then really chop up the cauliflower - maybe even in the food processor. Again, the flavor was wonderful, but it just wasn't executed quite right.

Chicken and Curried Cauliflower Salad Sandwiches
Almost Meatless - Joy Manning & Tara Mataraza Desmond

Serves 4 to 6

1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into 2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) bone-in, skin-on chicken breast

Mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 grinds black pepper
¼ teaspoon mustard
½ cup canola oil
2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced very thin
½ teaspoon hot curry powder
2 tablespoons grated onion

⅓ cup salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
⅓ cup golden raisins
Toasted slices rye, pumpernickel, or other brown bread

To prepare the cauliflower and chicken, arrange 2 racks in the oven and preheat to 400°F. Toss the cauliflower with the 1 tablespoon oil, curry powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl, and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or in a glass baking dish. Put the chicken in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet, brush with remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer both to the oven, one on each rack. Roast the cauliflower for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Let the chicken roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes (30 to 35 minutes total), until a meat thermometer registers 160°F. Remove from the oven and cool.

To make the mayonnaise, whisk the egg yolk with the vinegar, salt, pepper, and mustard in a bowl. When well combined, begin adding the oil very slowly, a few drops at a time, until about a quarter of the oil has formed a smooth emulsion with the yolk. Add the remaining oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. To this half-cup of basic mayo, add the scallions, curry powder, and the grated onion. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed, and refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare and serve the salad, when the chicken is cool, remove and discard the skin, cut the meat from the bone, and dice it into ½-inch pieces. Give the cauliflower a rough chop so the pieces are no more than ½ inch. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cauliflower, mayo, cashews, and raisins and toss until well mixed. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or curry if you like. Scoop the salad onto toasted bread and enjoy.

Tip: When making the mayo, pouring the oil from a measuring cup with a spout or squeeze bottle makes it easier to control the flow.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars