Nuts!

If you're like me, it's the time of year when you struggle with gift ideas. Not necessarily for family members or close friends (They've given me their lists!), but the myriad other people that I want to give a little token to celebrate the season. Neighbors, co-workers, even folks like the hairdresser or lawn guy. I've got a great solution this year you might try also. Seasoned spiced nut mixes. They're easy to make in big batches and to pack in decorative tins, jars or bags for gift-giving time. And you'll want to save some for yourself. They're great evening snacks and perfect to put out at cocktail parties or casual get-togethers. Any of them would be wonderful with your cheese board.

There are MANY recipes out there. Here are a few of my favorites.

Spiced Pecans
This are great by themselves, but can also be coarsely chopped and thrown on a salad. Maybe greens with blue cheese, dried cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette. Yum. (You can also easily substitute almonds for the pecans with equally delicious results.)

Note: This recipe makes two cups of pecans. If you want to use a entire one pound bag of pecan halves from the grocery store, just double the amount of butter and seasonings.

2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place pecans in large bowl and add melted butter and remaining ingredients. Stir to coat. Transfer to a baking pan and bake about 20 minutes. stirring occasionally.

Cumin Roasted Almonds
These are exotically delicious and a nice twist on plain old almonds. The sugar adds a nice touch of sweetness, but you could probably omit if you'd like savory only.

Makes six cups.

2 tablespoons whole cumin seed (You can buy in bulk sections of gourmet grocery stores like Whole Foods or Central Market so you're not stuck with a whole jar that you might not use that often.)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided use
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 cups almonds

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Add the cumin to a skillet and heat over medium heat until fragrant. (Be careful not to burn! It doesn't take long.) Crush with mortar and pestle or grind in spice mill.

Add cumin, sugar, cayenne, 1 teaspoon of salt, butter, Worcestershire, and soy sauce to saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is hot.

Place almonds in large bowl and pour butter mixture over. Stir well to coat. Transfer to large baking dish or sheet. (Try and bake in shallow layers.) Bake until crispy, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Ranch Oyster Crackers
Here's a wildcard recipe. Not nuts, but a delicious snack perfect for parties and gift-giving.

1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup oil
1 12 ounce bag oyster crackers

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Mix oil and dressing mix together and pour over oyster crackers. Stir to coat.

Bake at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice.