Bourbon Maple Candied Pecans

Ingredients

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon Ghee, melted

1 tablespoon bourbon or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

3 cups raw pecans

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup, butter, bourbon or vanilla, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Whisk until blended. Add the pecans and stir to coat.

3. Dump the contents of the bowl onto your prepared baking sheet and arrange the pecans in a single layer. The maple syrup might pool on the bottom of the pan, but that’s ok.

4.  Bake for 23 to 26 minutes, stirring after the first 10 minutes of baking and then every 5 minutes thereafter. The pecans are done when almost no maple syrup remains on the parchment paper, and the nuts are deeply golden. The maple syrup coating will be a little sticky right out of the oven, but will harden as the pecans cool.

5. Remove from the oven, and stir the pecans one more time, spreading them into an even layer across the pan again, and let cool down for about 10 minutes. Then, while the nuts are still warm, carefully separate any large clumps and let the pecans cool completely on the pan.

6. Candied pecans will keep for up to 2 months in a sealed bag at room temperature.

*Recipe adapted from Cookie + Kate