Cinnamon Pecans Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are cinnamon pecans good for you? ›

Absolutely! Pecans are full of healthy fats, antioxidants and fiber. Combined with the natural sweetness of maple, they're a healthier choice for a sweet treat or easy snack recipe. Why are my candied pecans chewy?

Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.

If your pecans are soft, it's most likely because they weren't baked long enough and are still retaining moisture. The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts.

Pecans have two sources of bitterness -- naturally occurring tannins in the kernel and pieces of corky material from the inside of the nut which can adhere to the kernel. Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking.

Pecans are typically added to a recipe for added texture and flavor and toasting them will only improve both qualities. Toasting pecans (or any nut for that matter) not only makes them extra crisp and crunchy, but you'll get an even greater boost of nuttiness and flavor.

Raw pecans pack a 1-2-3 punch of protein, healthy fats, and fiber that can help keep you energized and satisfied. Pecans are a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which help lower blood pressure. Most of the fat found in pecans is a healthy type called monounsaturated fat.

Contribute to heart health: Here's another reason to love America's native nut: It loves you back. Pecans are healthy for you and your heart. Eating a few pecans per day as part of a nutritious diet can lower cholesterol levels and boost levels of “good” fats.

Pecans also play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease because they have an abundance of “good” heart healthy fats. These unsaturated fats can have a protective effect by lowering total blood cholesterol when eaten in moderation. Pecans contain no cholesterol and no trans-fat.

You'll find out fast that boiling pecans lessens the likelihood of the shell shattering into a lot of smaller pieces.

Just toss nuts with oil, then powder, spread on a pan and bake. Doesn't get much simpler than that. Another alternative that has become popular is kettle roasted nuts. The nuts are cooked in a large kettle with an agitator to keep them from settling and burning.

Can you overcook pecans? ›

i frequently read that you should toast nuts until fragrant but – maybe this just reflects my not-so-strong sense of smell but – by the time i can smell the nuts, they are often overcooked. so i stick with a timer and a visual inspection.

Nuts with higher fat content, like walnuts and pecans can also go rancid after a few months if stored at too warm a temperature. If you notice that your nuts have taken on a noticeably bitter, sour flavor, they may have entered this unfortunate phase.

If you beat too long, the candy will seize and start to crumble. If you don't beat it long enough, then pralines won't set properly and will stay soft and sticky. Work quickly to drop heaping tablespoons (I use a small cookie dough scoop) of pecan praline mixture onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Pecans too sticky: If your nuts are still sticky after cooling, heat your oven to 325° F and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to help harden the candy coating.

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease of both pecan foliage and nuts caused by Microsphaera alni. It appears sporadically throughout the pecan belt in July during hot, humid weather. This disease produces characteristic powdery-like growth on leaflets and nuts.

Before shelling, pecans are moistened by water or steam, which is absorbed by the kernel. The kernel moisture increases from 4 to 8 percent, which makes it more flexible and reduces kernel breakage while cracking the nut.

Toasted pecans are not roasted pecans. Toasted pecans are cooked in a pan on the stove. I prefer to make roasted pecans in the oven because the pecans cook more evenly this way.