Rosemary Pecans...a Holiday Hit!

I've been making this Rosemary Pecans recipe for several years now. Everyone loves them! It's another great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. When I use fresh herbs with my girls at Girls Inc., I teach them how to use their hands to make small pieces of the herbs for a recipe. This way I can keep knives away from the little hands. I do eventually teach them proper knife skills and the safety of using a knife, but they do enjoy "cutting" the herds with their hands. This recipe is great for parties or gifts. I can't make enough of them for everyone because they disappear quickly from the serving dish. They also give your house a nice holiday, herbal fragrance.  I recently gave this recipe to a group of adult students at a cooking class. I just received a nice e-mail from one of the students who made the pecans for Christmas Eve, "We did your Rosemary Pecans, they were a HUGE hit!" Enjoy!

ROSEMARY PECANS

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

½ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt

3 cups pecans

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Melt butter.
3. Add rosemary and cayenne to melted butter. Stir and cook about 1 minute to release the rosemary fragrance.
4. Place nuts in a bowl and add butter mixture. Toss to coat evenly.
5. Spread nuts out onto an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
7. Bake about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

-         You can use other nuts, or a mix of nuts.

-         You can use other types of salt, i.e., flavored sea salts; fleur de sel.

-         You can make a day in advance, and store at room temperature in a tight fitted container for several days.

-         Always freeze nuts once you open a package to avoid them from getting rancid. If you are using frozen nuts, thaw nuts and bring to room temperature before using them in a recipe.