Maple-glazed pecans at home in 20 minutes

Maple-glazed pecans disappear fast. They are crunchy, a little sticky, and somewhere between candy and a proper snack. They are also one of the easier things to make at home, needing four ingredients and about twenty minutes. The hard part is stopping at one handful.

Here are two methods, one on the hob and one in the oven, plus how to rescue a batch that has gone wrong.

Ingredients

Makes about 200 g (2 cups), enough for a snack bowl or a salad topping.

• 200 g (2 cups) raw pecan halves
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Real maple syrup tastes better than anything labelled as pancake syrup, and it behaves better too, because it caramelises cleanly.

Method one: the oven

This one is hands-off and gives a gentle, even finish.

1. Heat the oven to 165C (325F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Toss the pecans with the syrup, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl until every nut is coated.
3. Spread in a single layer, with a little space between each nut.
4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the glaze is bubbling and the pecans smell toasty.
5. Remove from the oven. The glaze will look wet. It hardens as it cools.
6. Leave to cool for 20 minutes, undisturbed, then break apart any clumps.

Method two: the frying pan

This is quicker and gives you a thicker, candy-like coating, but it needs your attention.

1. Toast the pecans in a dry, heavy frying pan over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking often, until you can smell them.
2. Add the maple syrup and sugar. Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the syrup thickens and clings to the nuts.
3. Take the pan off the heat, sprinkle with salt, and stir in the vanilla.
4. Tip onto a sheet of baking paper right away and separate the nuts with two forks before they set.

Do not leave the pan, not even for a second. Sugar goes from amber to burnt in about fifteen seconds.

Fixing common problems

They are sticky after cooling

The glaze needs more time or more heat. Return them to a 150C (300F) oven for 5 minutes, then cool again.

They taste burnt

The temperature was too high, or the sugar caught on the tray. Next time, lower the heat and use parchment. Pecans are rich in oil and brown fast, so the line between toasted and bitter is thin.

They went chewy

Humidity is the usual cause. Cool them completely before storing, and keep them in an airtight jar.

The coating is thin

Use a little more syrup, and make sure the nuts are dry and room temperature before you coat them.

Ways to use them

• Scatter over a salad with soft cheese and bitter leaves.
• Chop and fold into porridge, yoghurt or ice cream.
• Use as the topping on pecan pie bars for a sweeter crunch.
• Pack into small jars as a gift. Our post on building a nut gift box has ideas for the rest of the parcel.
• Crush them over roasted squash or carrots for a sweet-and-salty edge.

Prefer to buy them?

If you would rather skip the stirring, the catalogue has ready-made maple-glazed pecans. For cooking and baking where the coating is not needed, pecan pieces are a practical shape.

Storing

Cooled, they keep in an airtight container for about a week at room temperature. Beyond that they lose snap. Because pecans contain a lot of natural oil, they can turn stale over time, and the explanation is in why nuts go rancid. If you want to read more about the nut, the pecan page on Wikipedia is a decent overview.

One last word

Pecans are tree nuts. Say so when you share them, check labels on all your ingredients, and ask a qualified professional about any medical question. Otherwise, make a double batch. A single one will not survive the afternoon.