Caramelized Pecans

 

When we go to New York City for a museum outing or a visit to Central Park, I make a habit of stopping by one of the street vendors to buy some roasted nuts.   They come in little brown bags right off the griddle and in the winter, you can smell their sweet and smoky flavor from blocks away.  After some research, we finally figured out how to make them at home, so now when I get a craving for some sweet pecans I no longer have to hop on a train.  

For those of you who don’t live in Manhattan or who would prefer to make your own batch, here is the recipe:  

Ingredients 

4 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of sugar
3 cups of Pecan halves (or some of your other favorite nuts)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation  Place the sugar, butter and vanilla in a skillet over medium-high heat until the sugar starts to caramelize. Do NOT stir. the melting should take around 10 minutes or so.

  

Once the sugar has melted and is starting to turn really dark brown, pour the pecans on top and then toss the pan chef-style (don’t stir if you can help it, just toss).

 

When the nuts are all smothered in caramel and nicely browned, pour them onto a sheet of buttered aluminum foil and let them cool for about 30 minutes. They’re yummiest when they are still warm.
Now, all you have to do is just find an empty bench in Central Park, take your bag of nuts and enjoy the view.