Bar Nuts Question

18 years ago

I was planning to make this recipe to take to some friends next week and then I reread it this morning and see that you really need to serve them warm and toss with the warm butter at the last minute. Opinions please.....

Should I just make another recipe (there are plenty of spiced nut recipes out there) - or - should I make these, toss with the butter and put into the decorative jars with a note to warm them up before serving? Would they need to be stored in the fridge because of the butter?

BAR NUTS

From The Union Square Cafe Cookbook, HarperCollins, 1994

These nuts won The New York Press award for "best bar nuts in New York." Every afternoon at about 4:45, a piping hot batch emerges from our ovens and is sent out to the bar, where the sweet rosemary fragrance wafts throughout the restaurant. Though they don't have a television set at they're bar, these nuts would probably be a hit in your living room accompanied by a football game and some ice-cold beer.

Yields 5 cups

Â 1/4 pound each peeled peanuts, cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, and whole unpeeled almonds or 1 pounds unsalted, assorted nuts.

Â 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

Â 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Â 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

Â 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Â 1 tablespoon butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Toast in the oven until they become light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

3. In the large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter.

4. Thoroughly toss the warm toasted nuts with the spiced butter and serve warm.

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Comments (11)

lyndaluu2
18 years ago
It sounds like a great recipe and putting them in a jar with instructions to warm before serving is a good idea.
Here's the recipe I use every year for part of my Christmas plates for friends and neighbors. They don't last very long.

Spiced Nuts - Emeril's recipe
1/2 tesp ground cumin
1/2 tesp cayenne pepper
1/2 tesp ground cinnamon
4 cups unsalted mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds
4 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
Mix spices and reserve.
Heat the nuts in a dry skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast, about 4 mins. Add the butter and cook stirring, until the nuts begin to darken, about 1 min. Add the spices, the sugar, 1 tbsp water and the salt and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the nuts are glazed about 5 mins.
Remove the nuts from the heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, separating them with a fork. Let the nuts stand until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 mins. Store in a airtight container.

Makes 4 cups

Linda P
stacy3
18 years ago
Woodie, I make those Union Square bar nuts all the time and warm or not, they're wonderful.

They've never lasted long enought to have to store them in the fridge - I never even thought of that, but I've made them and still eaten thema few days later...

Just be sure to use fresh rosemary. I've had to do with dried and it just isn't the same.

Stacy
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woodie
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks Linda and Stacy!
maggie2094
18 years ago
Those sound so good and I have so many cans of nuts left unopened from Thanksgiving. Wish I had Rosemary in the house for tonight! Might have to go out again - stores are mobbed today:(
msafirstein
18 years ago
I made Black Peppered Almonds for munchies during the football game on TG day and they were very good.

BLACK PEPPER ALMONDS

Butter for foil
* Â¼ cup unsalted butter
* Â¾ cup brown sugar
* 4 teaspoons water
* 4 cups (1 pound) whole almonds, skins on
* 1 tablespoon black pepper (freshly ground pepper for up-front pepper heat, commercially ground pepper for background bite)
* 2 teaspoons table salt

Preheat oven to 300F. Line one or two rimmed baking sheets with lightly buttered foil.

Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet on medium heat. Add the brown sugar and water, then stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the almonds, pepper and salt. Cook at a fast bubble for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Spread nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet(s). Bake for 30 minutes or until the nuts turn a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit, then separate the nuts into individual pieces. Keep separating the nuts until theyÂre fully cooled and dried. If nuts are sticky, store in frig.

Michelle
stacy3
18 years ago
maggie, they are amazing - I just buy salted mixed nuts at the wholesale club and then leave the salt out of the "seasoning" part. They are great warm on a nice cold night, but we also had them sitting out to munch on before Thanksgiving dinner. I took them to my 25 year class reunion, everywhere I take them everyone loves them and wants the recipe.

i know, I just got back from the store - still on a quest for lights - now outside...sigh. We have had the big C9 colored lights, but Scott is not showing any enthusiasm for putting them up. So I am trying to find something different for this year that I can do myself....grumble grumble grumble.

Stacy
maggie2094
18 years ago
These are awesome! Sent dh out for rosemary last night (he was so annoyed because I had him take out the rosemary "bush" we had because I thought it was too woody - lol.

My sister came over and we had these with a few Blue Moons:) I would never had tried them if people I "know" didn't recommend them! Thank you! Funny too because I only started liking Rosemary in the last few years. Oh - and I covered and forgot to put in the fridge and have been snacking on them today - still good.

Sour Cream Walnuts are next on my list.

Stacy, any luck with the lights - not a good day to be putting them up...? I have the opposite problem - my house lights up the whole block - LOL - he can't stop himself - I crack up when my neighbors ever so politely ask "um did you add more lights this year?".
woodie
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for the recipe, Michelle, I just love all kind of nuts but especially when they're spiced up a bit!

My favorite old recipe was with rosemary and worcestershire but I lost it, so I'm trying some new ones out.
User
18 years ago
Woodie they sound awesome! Thanks for the recipe and the tip about the salt Stacy. Ladies how spicy are they?

Clive is a nut for nuts but a wimp when it comes to spicy....as in hot.
stacy3
18 years ago
well, Maggie, my cheeks are burning from being outside. I resorted to the small white - as everyone does - and since I am such a rebel, this is a huge thing for me :-). I love the look but hate doing the same thing everyone does.

I've been out putting them up most of the day while Will played with neighbor kids in the 4 inches of snow we got last night.

Sharon, I've been making them regularly for the past year - I think I posted about them last holiday season...they are easily "spice adjustable". As is, the recipe is not too spicy, I'd say. Just a little kick - or if you get a little pocket of spice - like in a walnut, you might get a little kick - lol. But you could take some out for the wimp, and then add a bit more spice for you normal folks - hee hee.

HEY, I even took a photo at Thanksgiving - lol.

Wish you could smell em.

Stacy
debbie814
18 years ago
Woodie, they sound great to me! I'm going to make them for our girls holiday get together at my house on Thursday. Our group is about 12, so this will be great while we sip our beer and wine. The rest of the evening is being catered and paid for by a friend. Nice gift to me! All I have to do is tidy up a bit.

Bar Nuts Question

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