I recently posted rosemary roasted nuts.  A great fall appetizer for people to munch on.  It is easy and sure to be a hit. 

But now, I have here an even easier recipe.  I know, I know… can life really be this simple?     

I am a big fan of candied walnuts.  They are a staple ingredient that I toss in my favorite apple and feta salad. 

I guess if they are going in a salad they aren't really a sweet treat.  But my family always eats up the walnuts before they even make it in the salad.  

So if you want something other than that convenient handful of 24 raw almonds to put a jive in your afternoon step, then this is it.

Trust me. 

You can use any type of nuts you have on hand, but I like walnuts the best.

Candied Walnuts

• 3-4 cups of raw walnut halves or pieces
• 1/3 -1/2 cup brown sugar (you could use white sugar as well)
• 3-4 tablespoons of butter  (you can reduce or omit butter)
• coarse salt


Directions:

- Toast the nuts on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 7-10 minutes.

- Melt the sugar in a saucepan with the butter.  Immediately add the toasted walnuts and stir about 5 minutes until the sugar has browned slightly.

- Lay out on parchment paper and immediately toss with coarse salt.  Let cool.

- Enjoy them in salads, topped on ice cream with caramel, or just straight up.  Endless possibilities.  

TIP:  The measurements are not precise. Mostly because I don’t really measure and I just add more or less nuts or sugar as I go along.  Because it doesn’t have to be perfect.  It just has to taste good :)

Also, if you are not a huge butter fan like myself, you can omit it all together. Just melt down the brown sugar slowly and add the nuts.