Nuts are expensive. We get ours at the grocery store.

Albany, Georgia. The best you can buy and great people to deal with.

Plus, they keep in the freezer forever (over a year at least,) so if you know you'll eat them eventually, it's worth it to buy in bulk.

I get mine at the grocery store too, that's why I asked. I'm thinking of giving the teachers spiced nuts rather than my usual homemade cookies. Thanks to Bruce's link and Clod's suggestion, I may just do that. This girl who ate the spice nuts mentioned several times that she thought they were really good and wondered if I'd serve them for Vietnamese New Year.

I have plans to make a batch of these spiced nuts. I bought a two pound bag of walnut halves for $18 bucks at Cash and Carry. That seems like a fairly good price.

We don't have Casy and Carry here in Houston. I looked it up and found it to be a wholesale and restaurant supply store. We have those kind of stores here. I can look around to see and compare prices before I order. I've decided not to make any for New Year anyways. Blah, feeling like a humbug so I'm not gonna cause extra work for myself. Thanks, V. :)

You're welcome. :)

Do these look burnt to you? Hihi....I burnt them the last I did it. This time, I reduced the temp, and thy still burn. Ugh! I didn't smell it like last time though. My mom said how come they're all burnt. I replied that the nuts aren't burnt, that's how the color supposed to be. She popped one, right out of the oven, into her mouth. "They're burnt!" She exclaimed. Darn , I couldn't fool her. Hehehe.....I guess I'll be eating them by myself. :P

Anyways, Clod, how did you manage NOT to burn your nuts?

Attachment 43803

Gas or electric oven? What temp? What rack, top, middle or bottom?
Inquiring minds need to know.

Bottom rack will almost always burn things
Electric ovens are a pain in the ass and will often burn things
I think nuts are usually cooked at less than 300°f, like 250° or something.

You also have to stir them every five minutes, literally. The upshot to this is you'll be watching them so closely, they can't possibly burn.

Also, like foot said: middle or top rack only, and turn down the heat if your oven tends to be overzealous.

Electric oven, mid rack, 300 F. I followed the recipe, which said to stir after 10, 10, 5, 5 minutes. Next time I'll set the temp at 250 and stir every 5 mins. If the nuts still burn, I'll switch to top rack. :P

I toast nuts in a heavy cast iron pan, takes about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, high heat.

In that case, just taste one every time you stir. When they're crispy but not burnt, eliminate all the rest of the instructions and stop cooking them. :) (You did boil them first, right? That's also part of the recipe.)

Yes, I boiled them first. I don't know how to cook/bake, so I always follow the recipe. :P

There is nothing worse than burning your nuts!