Lacquered Maple Glazed Walnuts with Black Pepper & Flaky Salt

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Real maple syrup cooked to the soft-ball stage clings to toasted walnuts in a thin, glassy shell that shatters instead of sticking to your teeth. A whisper of butter rounds the maple, cracked black pepper and cayenne cut the sweetness, and flaky salt on top makes them dangerously snackable. Twenty-five minutes start to finish, and they keep crisp for a week — good on a cheese board, over salads and roasted squash, or straight from the jar.

Ingredients

• 3 cup raw walnut halves (about 10 oz)

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (Grade A dark, robust flavor)
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast on the middle rack for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan once, until they smell nutty and the skins look a shade darker. Slide them into a bowl and set aside. Reduce the oven to 300°F.
2. Line the same baking sheet (or a second one) with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment with a little butter or neutral oil. Have a silicone spatula and a candy or instant-read thermometer within reach — once the syrup is ready, things move fast.
3. In a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, kosher salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then bring to a steady bubble.
4. Cook the syrup, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes until it reaches 238°F to 240°F (soft-ball stage) — the bubbles will go from wide and lazy to small, thick, and foamy. Do not walk away; maple scorches quickly past 245°F.
5. Kill the heat, stir in the vanilla (it will sputter), then add the warm walnuts all at once. Fold with the spatula for 45 to 60 seconds, scraping the bottom, until every nut is coated and the glaze starts to look slightly opaque and cloudy where it clings.
6. Scrape the nuts onto the greased parchment and spread them into a single layer, using two forks to separate any clumps while the glaze is still fluid. Sprinkle evenly with the flaky sea salt.
7. Bake at 300°F for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and re-spreading once at the halfway mark, to drive off the last of the moisture — this is what turns a sticky coating into a crackly shell. The glaze should be bubbling gently and smell of toasted caramel.
8. Cool completely on the sheet, undisturbed, for at least 20 minutes; the shell hardens as it cools. Break apart into clusters and single nuts. Serve at room temperature.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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