Candied Walnuts

Candied nuts make great accents for salads.  They aren't bad to snack on, either.  All the ones at Sprouts were heavily salted, so I decided to make my own.

*1 C walnut halves
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tb olive oil

1.  Preheat oven to 400º.  Toss nuts in olive oil until evenly coated.  Stir together powdered sugar, salt, and cayenne.  Toss together nuts and sugar.

2.  Spread coated nuts in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes, then stir with tongs to expose more sides.  Continue to bake in 5 minute increments until nuts are dark brown and the sugar is caramelized.  Cool and break apart.  Store in a dry, airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Makes 1 cup

Difficulty rating  π