Cinnamon-Chili and Maple-Glazed Walnuts

As you know, lately I’ve been on a walnut kick ever since my visit to the walnut harvest. Well, a couple of weeks ago the nice people at the California Walnut Commission sent me a 5-pound bag of walnut halves from this year’s harvest! So I knew I needed to get cooking in the kitchen with these nutrition-filled babies!

First thing I thought to make was spiced walnuts. I wanted to combine some of the sweetness of caramelized walnuts without all the stickiness, so I decided to do a combo of salty and sweet, and what I ended up with was a batch of Cinnamon-Chili and Maple-Glazed Walnuts, perfect to snack on and to serve at a holiday cocktail party!

Cinnamon-Chili and Maple-Glazed Walnuts
10 servings

Ingredients:

• 11/2 cups walnut halves
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons chili powder

Directions:

1. Pre-heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the walnuts, maple syrup, and all the seasonings to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are coated and caramelized, about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from the pan and let cool. Once the walnuts have settled, use a fork to break apart pieces that have stuck together.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 122 calories, 2 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g fiber, 10 g total fat (1 g saturated fat, 7 g polyunsaturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat), 0 g cholesterol, 30 mg sodium

What’s your favorite way to cook with walnuts?