How To Make Candied Nuts

Okay, today totally felt like summer here. It made me excited to think about eating good food off the grill and fresh salads. One of my favorite salads to do lately is a spinach salad with some fruit and poppy seed dressing (which would probably be good even without the poppy seeds--and it works with both white wine and red wine vinegar I know for sure!). But what makes this salad REALLY good is adding candied nuts! There are lots of salad recipes out there that use candied walnuts or pecans, so this is just a quick little how to on that process. Believe me, they make a "sweet" salad even better! (By sweet I mean ones that have greens and fruit--like strawberries, apples, mandarin oranges, craisins--and a sweeter dressing.)

Candied Nuts
1/2 cup white sugar
1+ cup chopped nuts -- pecans, almonds, and walnuts work nicely

Roughly chop nuts and set aside. I like mine on the larger side so you feel like you are eating a nut rather than big hunks of candied sugar. Also prepare a sheet of parchment paper, wax paper, foil, or a silpat to put nuts on later.

Place sugar in a skillet over medium high heat. Watch carefully and stir nearly constantly to make sure sugar does not burn (believe me, I know from experience! Don't multi-task on this one!).

Stir constantly as sugar starts to melt. (Isn't it cool that sugar just turns to liquid like this?!?)

Remove from heat as soon as all of the sugar is melted and has turned a nice amber color.

Add 1 cup nuts immediately and stir to coat. If you have a lot of extra liquid sugar in there, throw in a few more nuts (I usually prepare a little more than 1 cup).

Pour sugar coated nuts out onto prepared paper, foil or mat. Use your spoon or a spatula to try and press them into smaller bunches as they start to cool. Allow nuts to cool completely, then use the handle of a knife to break them into smaller clusters. Sprinkle on salads or whatever else sounds good!