Spiced Pecans

The other snack I made for the party tonight is Alton Brown's Spiced Pecans. We already know how I feel about Alton Brown - pretty much anything he makes is tremendous. I've made his spiced almonds before, so I knew these were bound to be good. Man, I was NOT disappointed. In fact, these are so good, I had a hard time not eating the whole pan (1 lb of pecans!!) - I had to wrap them up quickly so there would be some left for the party. Yum, yum, yum!

Spiced Pecans (courtesy of Alton Brown)
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried ground orange peel
1 pound pecan halves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water

1. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Mix the salt, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and orange peel together in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Place the nuts in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes until they just start to brown and smell toasted. Add the butter and stir until it melts. Add the spice mixture and stir to combine. Once combined, add both sugars and water, stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the nuts, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Transfer the nuts to the prepared sheetpan and separate them with a fork or spatula. Allow the nuts to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Can be stored up to 3 weeks.