Spiced Rosemary Bar Nuts

****** Disclaimer!  This is NOT my picture above.  My very talented sister with her fancy-pants camera got some great shots of our meal this year!


    Given the huge number of recipes for appetizers and hors d'oeuvres that show up daily on my Pinterest feed, I feel certain that I am not alone in my love of small plates.  In fact, I think I could completely subside on these and desserts.

    For Thanksgiving appetizers, I always serve up Patsy's Cheeseball, my Slice and Bake Crackers, and these fantastic Spiced Rosemary Bar Nuts that will knock your socks off!  I almost took them off the menu this year thinking that we just end up with too many appetizers every year for just eight adults.  Luckily I didn't because we ended up eating all of them while we waited for the turkey to finish.  My sister requested that I never entertain this thought again.

   Now that the holiday season is in full gear and I have several events to attend, I will be taking these bar nuts along with me to more than one party.  Hopefully you will find these to be as easy and tasty as my family does.

   I originally came across the recipe while watching the Food Network one day.  Nigella from Nigella's Bites was talking about how much she loved the bar nuts from Union Square Cafe in New York.  Apparently, these nuts come out of the ovens every day at 4:45 at the bar and don't last long.  I can see why; they are the perfect combination of salty and sweet.  You can find the original recipe at the Food Network site.

   My advice is to not serve the nuts right out of the oven.  I have found that if you let them sit a little while (about 20-30 minutes) they get a little crunchier and taste a little better.  You can vary what types of nuts you use, but after making this recipe for several years, I like my combination below the best.

Spiced Rosemary Bar Nuts (click on title for printable version)

1/2 C. pecan halves
1/2 C. walnut halves
1/2 C. roasted, unsalted cashews
1/2 C. raw almonds
1/4 C. raw hazelnuts
2 T. chopped, FRESH rosemary
1/2 t. ground cayenne pepper
2 t. brown sugar (dark works best)
2 t. Kosher salt
1 T. salted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread all the nuts on a baking sheet and roast for 12 -15 minutes or until the nuts are golden brown.

While the nuts are baking, melt the butter in a large microwavable bowl.  Add rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, and salt.

Remove nuts from oven and pour them into the bowl.  Stir completely and allow to sit for a bit before serving.  Serve still warm or at room temperature.