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Bourbon Butter Roasted Pecans

Source of Recipe

From "The Southern Sympathy Cookbook" by Perre Coleman Magness


Recipe Introduction

"There is something quintessentially Southern about a pretty bowl of roasted pecans, be it your grandmother's silver Revere bowl or a funky locally made pottery piece. Roasted pecans are nice to have on the coffee table, by the bar, or on the buffet. And it's easy to make a lovely gift of these nuts by putting them in a decorative tin, a mason jar tied with a ribbon, or a clear plastic bag. Quite by accident, I discovered a brilliant way to produce perfect buttery pecans. I keep my pecans in the freezer, and being in something of a hurry one day, I tossed the frozen nuts into the warm melted butter. The butter and its seasonings clung to the cold nuts, forming a sort of carapace - so there was more butter on the actual nuts than on the baking sheet. Now I use this method for its excellent results."

List of Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp bourbon
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 pound raw pecan halves, frozen for at least an hour


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil.

Melt the butter with the bourbon and hot sauce in a medium bowl in the microwave or in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper, then quickly stir in the nuts, tossing to coat. Start with a spatula, but as with most things, your good, clean hands are the most efficient tool. Spread the nuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping with a spatula every 10 minutes, until the nuts are toasted and fragrant.

Carefully move the nuts on the foil from the baking sheet onto a cooling rack (the heat of the pan will keep toasting them). Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze toasted nuts for up to 3 months.

Makes about 4 cups