Maple Candied Pecans with Brown Sugar

Serves 16 in about 40 minutes. A pressure cooker recipe built around pecan halves and tsp ginger powdered.

Ingredients

• 4 cups pecan halves, raw
• ⅔ cup maple syrup (100% pure)
• ¼ tsp maple extract (optional, to enhance maple flavor)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ½ tsp ginger, powdered
• ¼ tsp coarse salt (or 1/8 tsp table salt)
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) or more to taste
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Tip in pecans, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and cayenne powder to the pot of your pressure cooker. Turn on the Sauté setting and stir well. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, while stirring the whole time.
2. Cancel the sauté setting. Stir in the water and stir gently. Set the lid on the pot and turn the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
3. Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 8 minutes. High Pressure.
4. While nuts are cooking, preheat oven to 300° F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. When the cooking cycle is finished, turn off the pot and turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to do a Quick Release of the steam. Lift out the lid and stir the nuts.
6. Tip in the nuts onto the parchment lined baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer as much as possible.
7. Cook for 10 minutes. Then remove from oven and stir, place back in oven for about 5 more minutes, but check on them during baking to make sure they don't burn.
8. Lift out from oven and let cool completely before packaging so they will not stick together.
9. While nuts are pressure cooking, add sugars and cinnamon to a gallon size plastic or paper bag. Shake up to mix.
10. Take nuts out of the oven and cool until warm, but not hot, and still a bit sticky.
11. Tip in half of the nuts to the bag and shake them to coat with the sugar mixture Be careful and close the bag before shaking. Lift out nuts to a fresh sheet of parchment to continue cooling.
12. Discard leftover sugar mixture, or save it for toast!

More appetizers ideas are in the appetizers collection.