I love candied pecans! They are great right out of the oven – hot, crispy and fragrant. Then they taste reminiscent of those nuts you can buy at from a vendor at the mall. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

But the nice thing about this method for making candied pecans is that they don’t have a crispy outer layer of candied goodness. While I love that, I think it keeps the nuts from being versatile  and means they’re only good for snacking.

So instead, I like to use the following. It provides all the great flavor without that candied coating. These are still great for snacking. They’re also great as a salad topper, ice cream or yogurt topping or mixed in with a cereal. Although my favorite use for these pecans is in baked goods. The toasted, sweet flavor of the pecans just adds a special little oomph to everything.

You can easily make up a big batch of these and use them throughout the whole holiday season. Serve them as an appetizer or with dessert on Thanksgiving. Then store them in a tightly sealed glass jar and use for all your Christmas baking and candy making. Trust me on this – that little extra flavor will make all your baked goodies exceptionally memorable!

Candied Pecans

• 1 c. pecans, halves, slices or chopped
• 5 T. butter or margarine
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. vanilla

1. In a small skillet, add pecans and toast over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until fragrant. Remove pecans from skillet and set aside.

2. Add butter or margarine to skillet and melt. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Cook until syrupy and lightly golden brown in color. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Then stir in pecans until well coated.

3. Spread pecans onto a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until dry and crispy.

This post is being linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.