Maire's Spiced Nuts was Re: [Sca-cooks] cookie exchange - OOP

[Sue Clemenger]

Ooops!
I'd intended to write up a funny, pseudo-medievaloid version of what I
do, but I got sidetracked by a couple of textile projects (weaving is
*fun*!)
I'm posting to the general list because I can think of at least one
person who asked for the recipe on the list (as opposed to only the
cookie recipients).

Maire's Spiced Nuts
For each pound of nuts (I used almonds), you will need:
2 c. granulated, white sugar
1/2 c. plain water
1/2 to 1 T spice of your choice
In a large frying pan (I used my trusty ole' 10" cast iron one), combine
the sugar and the water, and stir over low-ish heat until the sugar is
all dissolved.  You can add the spice with the sugar, or after it makes
a syrup.  Doesn't seem to affect flavor either way.  Once the sugar and
water have formed a thin syrup (about like fake maple syrup), I crank up
the heat to a medium flame (maybe medium to medium high? stove dials
don't specify), and add the almonds.  It is not necessary to blanch
them, so just dump 'em in, and start stirring (a good, sturdy, wooden
spoon works really well).  I stir more-or-less constantly for somewhere
between 5 and 10 mins (YMWillV).  The syrup becomes thicker and thicker,
and right before it re-crystalizes, turns a foamy, lighter brown.  Keep
stirring until the syrup looks like *slightly* damp, granular brown
sugar, and then turn the whole contents of the pan onto a marble surface
(recommended by the _Joy of Cooking_), or into a large, heat-proof bowl
(I used one of my stainless-steel bowls, set on a hot pad).  Stir to
break up any chunkage--what you want is each nut coated with a "shell"
of the spiced sugar.  It will not look like a glaze, nor has it been an
even coating when I've done it (more like period "ragged comfits,"
IIRC).  If your nuts end up really stuck to the pan because you stirred
them too long, don't despair.  Just add some water, and repeat.  (I
speak from experience, here! ;o)  When the nuts have cooled sift them
from the leftover sugar mixture, or just pick them out.  The sugar
mixture can be re-used to make more nuts, or for other, nefarious things
like rolling sugar cookie dough in it.
Now, the spice blend I used is leftover from some Ras el Hanout that I
made for largesse this summer.  I used a variety of sources to come up
with my blend, which is one of the ones that does *not* include rosebuds
or anything poisonous or nasty like Spanish Fly.  What I did have was a
spice mixture containing roughly equal portions of the following spices
(by weight): cinnamon (ceylon), ginger, galingale, grains of paradise,
cubeb berries, cardamom, black pepper, white pepper, long pepper,
nutmeg, coriander, and half-measures of cloves and a moderately-hot
powdered capsicum pepper.  This is NOT a period spice blend, as far as I
know, but it certainly has some elements in common with spice mixtures
from our SCA period.  It is a warm, spicy flavor with a slight,
unexpected "bite" from the peppers.
I adapted this recipe from one for "burnt peanuts" in my _Joy of
Cooking_, which recommends using cinnamon.  It also recommends cooking
the nuts in the sugar syrup a second time, but when I tried it, I didn't
notice any appreciable difference for the additional work.
--maire

Sharon Palmer wrote:
> 
> I have the Exchange Cookies ready to mail back. I'm hoping to get
> them out yet tonight.
> 
> I still don't have my own computer back from repair.  I can't find,
> or never got the recipes for Maire's Spiced Nuts or for Seonaid's
> cookies.  If you can send them **NOW**, I'll include them in the
> booklet.
> 
> There were 9 participants:  Ranvaig, Etain, Maire, Stefan, Safia,
> Devra, Seonaid, Pflip, and Chirhart.
> 
> Nearly everyone sent 10 sets of cookies, so I made two kinds of
> cookies to fill out the Exchange.   Merry Christmas and Happy Cookie
> eating.
> 
> Ranvaig
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