EDIT (3/7/2008 @ 9:44 PM CST):
Edited the original post after I tried it again; this time keeping track of my meausurements
GWF's Hot Candied Nuts:
Over medium-low heat, render the fat from about 6-8 slices of bacon. (I use a large Wok)
Pitch the bacon (or at least remove it from the pan)
Add 34 oz of mixed nuts (off brand party mix from Wally World)
Stir well to coat everything
Stir in 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup of Tabasco sauce (I like chipotle)
Stir well to coat
When sugar is melted, stir in the following:
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp red paper flake
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup honey
Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.
Remove mixture from the Wok and add to something that has holes big enough for smoke to get through, but keep the nuts in (see pictures below)
Smoke with just enough heat to keep the candy sticky, for 4 hours. Apple chips seem to work best with the sweet flavor. Cherry seem give a bit too much wang for my pallet.
Here's some q-view:
They look sticky, but are really more like a brittle. Since they were a little warm I layed them out on some plastic wrap to cool flat and separate. In any event, they took on smoke very nicely. The smoke compliments the spice in a big bad way.
Edited the original post after I tried it again; this time keeping track of my meausurements
GWF's Hot Candied Nuts:
Over medium-low heat, render the fat from about 6-8 slices of bacon. (I use a large Wok)
Pitch the bacon (or at least remove it from the pan)
Add 34 oz of mixed nuts (off brand party mix from Wally World)
Stir well to coat everything
Stir in 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup of Tabasco sauce (I like chipotle)
Stir well to coat
When sugar is melted, stir in the following:
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp red paper flake
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup honey
Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.
Remove mixture from the Wok and add to something that has holes big enough for smoke to get through, but keep the nuts in (see pictures below)
Smoke with just enough heat to keep the candy sticky, for 4 hours. Apple chips seem to work best with the sweet flavor. Cherry seem give a bit too much wang for my pallet.
Here's some q-view:
They look sticky, but are really more like a brittle. Since they were a little warm I layed them out on some plastic wrap to cool flat and separate. In any event, they took on smoke very nicely. The smoke compliments the spice in a big bad way.
