So! As it's my first day off in a week, I thought I'd take advantage of it and catch up on my missed Sundays with Joy post.
Do forgive me. I work seasonally, and until October ends my life is not my own.
I do recall staring at the recipe for this week's assignment, trying to think of how I could adapt it more to my taste. The original was a honey mustard cashew recipe. While that sounded fun, I'm not really a huge honey mustard fan.
So what's a girl to do? Google, obviously.
Unfortunately, nothin' doin'. I wanted something spicy, a bit more savory, and a little less contrasting in flavors. I came upon a "Moroccan spiced" roasted cashew, but it still didn't hit home with me.
Eventually, I just opened up my spice cupboard and grabbed at will.
I was a little anxious when I stuck them in the oven. To be honest...they smelled kind of funky. Honey, cumin, chili powder...what was I thinking?
This carried on for about five minutes, then the whole kitchen started smelling like some kind of spice heaven. After removing them from the oven and letting them cool for all of seven minutes, I immediately popped a warm cashew into my mouth.
Oh. My. Gosh. The honey added just a bare hint of sweetness, but otherwise it was just a lovely, crisp coating that helped all the spices stick together. My only warning is that you make these for groups. Because when you're left with an entire container, and you're by yourself... you'll definitely risk a major tummy ache eating handfuls of these. *oof*
Spicy Honey Roasted Cashews
Yield: about 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Heaping 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- A pinch of allspice
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups whole, salted cashews
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the nuts out in an even layer. Place the nuts in the oven and toast for about 5-7 minutes, until fragrant. Remove immediately and allow to cool slightly. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, allspice, and cayenne pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey and vegetable oil. Add the spices to the honey mixture and whisk well to combine. Add the cashews, and toss well to coat.
Spread the coated nuts into a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, removing from the oven every 5 minutes to stir and check on them (nuts burn easily!). Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Sources: adapted from Joy the Baker's Cookbook
