Candied nuts are one of my favorite holiday candies.  This is a recipe that has been passed down from my Grandma, to my Mom and now I finally got my hands on it!

I don’t only love these nuts because of the warm cinnamon and sugar flavors but because of the amazing scent they send throughout your home.

Or the mall…

You know what I’m talking about.  That delicious smell that you can’t seem to escape, no matter how far away you wander from the candied almond station.

Imagine having that same scent in your own home…your neighbors may flock to your door, be careful!

I figured it had been a while since my little monster friend paid a visit…

Recipe: Candied Nuts

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups Almonds (or Pecans/walnuts)

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Water

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 Degrees.

Pour nuts onto a baking sheet and place into oven for about 15 minutes.

While those roast, add water, sugar, salt and cinnamon to a saucepan.

Turn onto medium heat and bring to a soft ball stage (236 degrees) WITHOUT STIRRING.

Once you’ve reached soft ball stage, remove from heat and add vanilla (it will bubble up, that’s normal don’t worry!) and stir in the warm nuts.

Keep stirring gently until the mixture becomes dry and a bit hard.  Spread over parchment or wax paper and let cool completely.

Place into an air tight container or individual baggies or jars and give as gifts or keep on your desk to snack on!  Or you can place them into a ziplock and freeze for up to 2 months.  If you plan on handing them out throughout the holiday season, I recommend you freeze them until the time you need them/serve them.

NOTE: I used almonds and pecans.  I did them in two separate batches because I wanted to toast my almonds for a bit longer.  You can really use any nut you prefer in this recipe!