Spiced Pecans

These are totally yummy and can be tweaked to suit your tastes.  More salty, spicy or sweet.  I have been making these around the holidays for 10 years.  Original recipe from Michael Brisson in Fine Cooking, Nov 1998, No. 29.  

2 to 3 tsp. good salt (original called for 4tsp but always was too salty for me)

1/2 tsp cayenne or to taste

1 tsp each of ground white pepper, nutmeg, cloves and allspice (fresh ground is yummy, but the already ground works well too)

4 to 5 cups of pecan halves

a generous 1/3 cup of butter melted 

1/3 cup of dark maple syrup

1. Heat Oven to 350

2. Mix dry ingredients together well and toss in pecans.  Tossing with your hands works the best.

3. Mix melted butter over nuts and again toss.  (Taste here.  Sometimes you can tell you need more salt or something else.  Sometimes I have added ground cardamon into the mix)

4. Spread out on a baking sheet into one layer.

5. Bake until lightly toasted, stirring every so often.  About 10 minutes.

6. Pour maple syrup over nuts and stir to combine and bake about another 10 minutes.

7. Let the nuts cook in the pan, about 20 minutes.  Then scrape into a bowl, breaking up any large chunks.