Sugared Walnuts

These sugared walnuts enhanced with ginger and maple are so tasty and quick to make. The secret to making these extra delicious is toasting the walnuts in an oven before sugaring them. Believe me, toasting is pure magic when it comes to nuts.

I like to make a big batch of these and keep them sealed in a plastic bag in my freezer. I then use them to top salads - spinach, pear and gorgonzola is my favorite. They are also a great addition to a cheese platter when you need something easy for entertaining.

Here's the recipe:

Sugared Walnuts
2 1/2  cups walnut halves
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. And,  lay a sheet of parchment paper on a cooling rack.

Put the walnuts on a sheet pan and toast them in the oven for 6 to 10 minutes. Watch them closely because you don't want them to burn. Once you begin to smell the walnuts, get them out of the oven.

Put the remaining ingredients except the butter and salt into a large heavy bottomed saucepan and give it a good stir to combine. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the sugar mixture is melted and bubbling. This takes about 5 minutes.

Quickly, add the butter and salt and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the toasted walnuts and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly.

Transfer the walnuts to the parchment paper and use a spoon to break them apart. Be careful because they are very hot. Let them cool completely and store in a sealed container.

Let the sugared walnuts cool completely before packaging.