1 1/2 Cup Sugar 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Dash Salt 3 Cups Nuts (Whole and Half Nuts Preferred) 1/2 Cup Water Cinnamon, If Desired 1/4 Cup Honey Grated Orange Rind, If Desired
Stir together sugar, salt, water and honey in saucepan. Cook to 242 degrees (softball stage) on candy thermometer. Remove from heat; add vanilla and walnuts. Food coloring may be added to syrup; also cinnamon or grated orange rind. Stir until thick and creamy. Turn onto waxed paper and separate with forks. Makes 1 1/2 pounds.
Note: This recipe makes enough syrup to coat more than 3 cups of nuts.
For a harder "candied" shell: heat oven to 425 degrees. Place approximately 1 cup of sugared nuts at a time on a heavily greased or foiled-lined cookie sheet. Bake until bubbly, remove from oven, and transfer nuts to a heavily buttered second cookie sheet to dry, separating individual nuts. Repeat with remaining nuts. (- April Ferre)
Recipe - Calla Ferre
“This recipe makes a soft, sugary coating. Alternatively you can follow the ‘candied’ nut version for a harder, glossier shell. I like using 1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon for lightly spiced nuts and generally use a combination of walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts and cashews. Even my labmate, Julie, who does like walnuts said she really liked these!” - April Ferre
