Roasted Nuts with Zaatar and Sumac

Roasted Nuts with Zaatar and Sumac. There are two ways to look at nuts, one way is to highlight on their health benefits, which are many, the other way is focus on their delectability. Here is a decadent roasted nut recipe with herby and spicy coating that have the right amount of crunch and are so addictive that it it is difficult to stop eating them, so a fair warning! For a triple dose of decadence, we added a warm hint of zaatar, sumac and cayenne. Try this zaatar and sumac flavored roasted nuts and enjoy as part of your afternoon nibbles, on your road trips, holidays, add them to salads, cheeseboards, or delight a foodie friend with a jar as an edible gift. The recipe calls for just for few ingredients and can be made in less than 1 hour.

Tips and Tricks

• It is important to use fresh nuts that are not stale and rancid.
• I used zaatar and sumac, but you can omit and use your favorite spice.
• Be sure to begin with raw nuts and not the roasted stuff.
• I have used cashew, almonds, Brazil nuts, macadamia and pecans; smaller nuts like pistachios and peanuts will not roast as evenly with larger nuts, so I recommend using the mentioned nuts for even roasting.
• Egg white is the natural binding agent that adheres the nuts together.
• Layer the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet and do not crowd them, you need to save room for the heat to circulate around the nuts.
• You can double or triple the recipe if you are feeding a crowd, but maybe you need then to roast them in batches.
• Keep an eye on your oven when you make them; the nuts can burn in no time.
• Remove the nuts from the oven and give them a good stir. Leave them to cool down completely before transferring to an airtight container.
• Humidity can cause nuts go stale much faster. To keep your nuts fresh for long, store them in the refrigerator or the freezer.

And Now Let’s Get Started

Mix the nuts together, preheat the oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks.

Add in the water, drop of vinegar, sugar, salt, zaatar, sumac and cayenne if used.

Add the nuts and mix well until the nuts are coated.

Bake about 2o minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down completely before serving.

The Roasted nuts are crunchy, slightly spicy, and profoundly flavored with zaatar, sumac and cayenne. Ready seasoned nuts can be expensive to purchase, here is a great recipe that is big on flavor but easy to make. Go ahead and bake a batch, they are a great snack to keep on hand!

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons white or brown sugar, can be substituted  by maple syrup or any artificial sweetener of your choice
• 2 tablespoons zaatar
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon cayenne, not a fan of heat? Simply omit the cayenne. Prefer it fiery? Add extra!
• 3 leveled teaspoons sea salt
•  2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon water
• A drop of white vinegar
• 500 grams  / 1 lb 2 oz of a mix of  raw nuts: pecans, macademia, cashews and almonds, and Brazil nuts, you could also use walnuts

Directions:

1. It is important to use fresh nuts that are not stale. Mix the nuts together and preheat the oven to 350˚F/ 180 °C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
2. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and add in the water, drop of vinegar, sugar, salt, zaatar, sumac and cayenne if used.
3. Add the nuts and mix well until the nuts are coated.
4. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and spread in a single layer, and do not crowd them, you need to save room for the heat to circulate around the nuts.
5. Bake about 2o to 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down before serving.
6. Remove the nuts from the oven and give them a good stir. Leave them to cool down completely before transferring to an airtight container, or serve them right away with sparkling water or your favorite drink.

Storage: Store the Roasted Nuts and Zaatar in an airtight container at room temperature up to a week or alternatively, refrigerate for a few weeks.

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