Sweet & Spicy Herb Cashews

This might be the easiest recipe I’ve posted on here, and it is quickly becoming a staple in my house. These cashews are sweet when you first taste them then the heat from the cayenne kicks in. I’ve made it a couple of times before, usually as a football snack. We’d end up devouring all of them by the end of the game. Oops.

A funny thing happens when you make a dish frequently.  You feel less of a desire to eat all of it in one sitting. It’s there as a quick and delicious snack. It’s not a novelty anymore that must be eaten quickly or it will disintegrate. This treat will now last a week. It’s not the cheapest of treats though. I do pay $10 for a pound of raw cashews, which hurts a bit. But a couple times a month is doable.

This is one of those times you do not want to substitute dry herbs for fresh. The fresh rosemary really shines and dried will not be the same. I buy raw, unsalted cashews. You can buy roasted ones but if you buy salted and roasted, omit the salt from the recipe. Oh, and it will take about 10 minutes to make. That includes standing around waiting for the cashews to roast and pouring a glass of wine. These are of course best warm but I enjoy them room temperature and cold too!

Rosemary Cashews

from Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris

Yield: 1 lb of delicious cashews

Difficulty: Very, very, very easy

Time: 2 minutes to mix ingredients; 10 minutes for cashews to roast

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw or roasted cashews (unsalted is best)
• 2 TB fresh chopped rosemary
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 TB kosher salt (omit if you use salted cashews)
• 1 TB unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Pour yourself a glass of wine or beer (optional but recommended!)

2. Spread the cashews on a half sheet pan. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and fragrant.

3. While cashews are roasting, mix together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. When cashews are done, toss in bowl to coat thoroughly.

4. Eat and enjoy!