Glass-Shell Candied Pecans with Cinnamon & Flaky Salt

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The candied pecans you buy in a paper cone at the market, made better at home: whipped egg white glues a thin sugar shell to every crevice of the nut, then a full hour in a low oven dries it into a lacquer that shatters instead of sticking to your teeth. Warm cinnamon, a whisper of cayenne, and flaky salt keep them from tipping into candy-store sweet, so they're just as good on a salad or a cheese board as they are by the handful.

Ingredients

• 4 cups raw pecan halves (about 1 lb)

• 1 large egg white, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar (optional, for a sturdier foam)

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

• 3/4 tsp flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C) and set a rack in the middle. Line a large rimmed baking sheet (18x13 inch half sheet) with parchment paper. Do not grease it — the parchment alone keeps the shells from sticking.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, fine sea salt, nutmeg, and cayenne together, breaking up any brown sugar lumps with your fingers. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg white, water, vanilla, and cream of tartar together vigorously for about 60 seconds, until loose, frothy, and opaque white — you want a light foam with soft peaks that collapse, not a stiff meringue.
4. Add the pecans to the foam and fold with a flexible spatula for about 1 minute, until every nut is slick and glossy and no dry patches remain.
5. Sprinkle the spiced sugar over the pecans in three additions, folding thoroughly after each. After the last addition, keep folding for another minute — the coating should look like damp sand clinging evenly to the nuts, with no loose sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
6. Scrape the pecans onto the parchment and spread them into a single layer, separating any clumps with your fingers or two forks. Give them room; crowded nuts steam instead of drying.
7. Bake for 60 minutes total, removing the pan every 15 minutes to stir and re-spread the pecans in a single layer. This is what keeps them from fusing into one sheet and lets the coating dry evenly. Sprinkle the flaky salt over the nuts at the 45-minute stir.
8. At 60 minutes the coating should look matte and dry, not wet or shiny. Set the pan on a rack and cool completely, at least 30 minutes — the shell only turns glassy and crisp as it cools. Break apart any pecans that stuck together and taste one: it should snap cleanly. If it feels tacky, return the pan to the oven for 10 more minutes and cool again.
9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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