Darcie Bakes //

Baking from scratch… because good things take time.

Candied Pecans.

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{Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal!}

Stop the presses. Hold the phone. Shut the front door. <insert other “OMG” phrase here that I can’t think of at the moment.>

I’m gonna need you to stop what you’re doing right this instant and grab the supplies needed to make these candied pecans. There’s a good chance that you already have all of the ingredients in your pantry, minus the pecans.

candiedpecans_topviewThese candied pecans are serious business. Seriously delicious business, that is. I can’t get over how good they are. I have mentioned before that I’m not the most easily excitable person on the planet. But these things blew me away. They are so simple, so easy to make, and so unbelievably addictive. About a month ago, I made a batch to send my dad half of them in the mail for his birthday. He and my grandpa informed me that they were the best part of his birthday baked goods package, that they’re “dangerous,” and delicious. Update: While I was at their house during Christmas break, my grandpa said, “Those candied pecans ought to be outlawed!” That dude is known for speaking his mind, so he obviously knows what’s up: they’re so good that they should be outlawed. 😉

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{Candied pecans aren’t the most photogenic, but they sure are delicious.}

I’d be lying if I said I have any self-control around them. Once you start eating “just a few,” next thing you know you’ve eaten an entire cup. Oops. They’re just so tasty. Roasted pecans, topped with a delicious, crunchy sugar coating that has a good hint of cinnamon… How could that ever be a bad thing?

Candied pecans are also extremely versatile: you can use them as a salad topping, gift them to your loved ones for Christmas, or just make a batch and try to play a game with yourself in which you don’t consume the entire batch in one sitting.

candiedpecanmountain
{This deer loves being on top of Candied Pecan Mountain. I don’t blame him. I’m jealous.}

Regardless of your reason for making these [tbh, you don’t need a reason], just make them. They are so tasty, and they will make your house smell heavenly. My apartment always smells fantastic when I’ve got these things roasting in the oven. Best snack ever. Make them right meow so you can eat them all Christmas weekend. The end.

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Cinnamon Sugar Candied Pecans.

Yield: 4 cups of the most delicious candied pecans on the planet.

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup granulated sugar
– 1/2 cup light brown sugar
– 1 TBSP. ground cinnamon
– 1 tsp. salt
– 16 ounces (about 4 cups) unsalted pecans halves
– 1 large egg white
– 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1 tsp. water

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set prepared pan aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3.
In a large bowl, add the egg white, vanilla extract, and water together and whisk until frothy.
4. Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to your wet ingredients, and stir until combined. Toss with the pecans until they’re well coated.
5. Spread the coated pecans out onto the prepared pan in an even, single layer.
6. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The sugar mixture will harden on the pecans, especially as they setup and cool off.
7. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet. Once cool, store the candied pecans in an airtight container. They will be good for about a month, but it’s highly unlikely that they’ll last longer than a week.
+ Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.

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