FOOD NEWS
Ina Garten’s Preferred After-Work Snack Is A Sweet And Salty Treat
BY STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
An ideal after-work or after-school snack should be fun, easy to make, tasty, and leaves you satisfied until dinner. Ina Garten recommends salted caramel nuts as her choice.
Garten makes her own sweet and savory caramel nuts, and they’re a perfect portable treat to take a handful along with you, whether you're going to your couch or out the door.
Garten's short recipe uses nuts, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. She uses one cup each of roasted salted cashews, large pecan halves, unsalted almonds, and walnut halves.
As long as you use four cups, you can use any kind of nuts. Garten also uses kosher salt to toss with the nuts, plus fleur de sel salt to sprinkle on top once they're done cooking.
Roast the nuts for seven minutes, then make the caramel on the stove while they cool. Combine sugar and water in a pan and cook it without stirring it, then add vanilla.
Pour the caramel on the nuts, and let it sit until it’s cool to the touch. Try adding spices like cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg, or even chili powder for a spicy touch.