We have a tradition of hosting a number of our friends on the first weekend of the NFL playoffs. We yell at the TV together, share snacks and always have a great time.
This past weekend was especially fun as we watched the Chiefs advance to the next round, and we’re planning on repeating the festivities this weekend for their next game.
No one in our friend group knows how to skimp on the snack table, and I have to admit that I’m as guilty as everyone else of bringing way too much food.
One snack that I tried recently that goes over well is also super easy to accomplish, which is nice for a quick treat.
The recipe author calls these toffee peanuts, but I decided to just refer to them as candied peanuts, since we all agreed that the flavor profile didn’t seem to be what we’d expect in something with “toffee” in the title.
I found this on the blog “Genius Kitchen.” You can find the post at https://www.geniuskitchen.com/amp/recipe/toffee-coated-peanuts-269296. I doubled the spices in my version.
Candied Peanuts
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup I used dark
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
- In a bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the peanuts. Add the peanuts and toss to coat.
- Dump the mixture out onto the baking sheet and spread it into a single layer as much as possible.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once the peanuts are golden brown and the mixture is bubbling, remove them from the oven.
- Allow the peanuts to cool completely and then transfer them to an airtight container, breaking the larger clumps into smaller pieces if you desire.
After these were finished, Joey and I both taste tested them and declared them a moderate success. But then we kept going back to the container over and over.
I suddenly realized I should probably upgrade their success level, and they didn’t last very long after several of us got our hands on them.
I have another jar of peanuts sitting in my pantry right now, and I’m thinking they may need to get a nice coating of sugar and spices before Sunday’s game.
There’s no guarantee the game will be a good one, but I know for certain the snack table will be on point.
This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 17, 2019.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
