Caramelized Cinnamon Pecans and Almonds-Gluten Free

Ok, so I am pretty much homebound for the day. Last yesterday and last night have left a lot of snow and my car is somewhere buried deep in it. But, I will still count my blessings. I am in my apartment which is nice and warm, my husband is home (work gave him a snow day) and laundry is being cleaned (I am one of those weird people who actually like doing laundry).

My husband made me a wonderful breakfast today and cleaned up afterward. So today is a quiet day to relax, catch up on some reading and think of new treats to spoil my husband with. So, I saw a post for Caramel Popcorn. I wasn’t in the mood to make popcorn but I always loved the caramelized nuts that are always mixed in. So, I immediately went to my kitchen, where I remembered I had some leftover chopped pecans and almonds! YEA!!! On went my chefs hat and there I went!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon of butter

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

*Gluten Sensitivity-Use McCormick Vanilla Extract, it is gluten free

1 tablespoon of water

1/2 cup of your favorite nuts (I used Pecans and Almonds)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 F
2. Place pecans and almonds onto an aluminum covered tray and toast for about 10 minutes (Stirring halfway through) (SHORTCUT: If you have toasted Almonds and Pecans, you can omit this step)
3. In a saucepan, melt brown sugar, cinnamon, water and butter until all the sugar is dissolved and mixture thickens
4. Remove pan from heat and add vanilla.
5. Mix in the almonds and the pecans until well coated (save covered tray)
6. Pour nuts onto your aluminum covered tray and spread the mixture out.
7. Allow mixture to cool and then store in an airtight container (Or start eating right away!)

Fresh Batch of Caramelized Pecans and Almonds

*If you want crispy, crunchy caramelized pecans/almonds, heat the oven to 225F and after step 6, place the tray in the oven for about 45 minutes (Stirring every 10 minutes), then cool

You can also use these to top your favorite desserts (or eat them plain) or yogurt!