"On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me - two turtle doves..." Ok, no turtledoves (thank goodness - don't know how I'd deliver those... but another easy appetizer... with a little kick! As promised, here are those "boozy" pecans I was talking about! So first, a little disclaimer - I've never been a fan of the overly sweet, sticky "candied" nuts... which is probably why there is not a recipe for them on my blog.
That is until now - because these Bourbon Maple Pecans are not overly sweet, or even sticky and I don't know if I'd even classify them as "candied" - the flavor is much more subtle than that.
So what exactly makes these Bourbon Maple Pecans different? The key is the preparation - the nuts are actually brined and then roasted - no egg whites involved! Yes, brined. and "yes" I was a little skeptical - but after the first bite, I was sold on the technique - and so will you.
As I sat "sampling" a small bowl of these Bourbon Maple Pecans, I decided what I really loved about them (aside from the fact they are dead simple to make) was that the maple and bourbon flavors didn't overpower the flavor of the pecans - they are a little sweet, a little salty and almost buttery with just the merest hint of heat at the end - making them ideal for nibbling with a favorite beverage.
These Bourbon and Maple Pecans would also make a wonderful hostess gift and you can whip up multiple batches of these nuts in a couple of hours - and since they require little in the way of "hands on time" you can make these while watching your favorite holiday movie.... preferably while sampling your favorite holiday beverage of choice... cheers!!!
📖Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup good quality Bourbon I used Wild Turkey 81
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups pecans
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium saucepan combine the maple syrup, bourbon, water, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes and then turn off the heat. Add the pecans and let them sit in the brine for 30 minutes. Remove the pecans to a parchment lined sheetpan. Roast the pecans for 15 minutes or until dry and lightly browned.
Nutrition
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says
I love these..simple and so delicious. Plus I need an excuse to go pick up some more Wild Turkey.
Nancy says
You can blame it all on me...:-)!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
So simple to prepare and I bet they are a great nibble. Love the glass in your photo…is it an antique?
Nancy says
Hi Karen!!! Yes, the glass is vintage - the seller thought it was produced in the 1920's!!!
Dawn says
I made these today, following the recipe exactly. They're a bit of a disappointment. Not much flavor of bourbon or maple. It's too bad because I really hoped they'd be a nice, homemade gift for our neighbors for the holidays, especially after shelling out almost $40 on nuts, pure maple syrup and bourbon!!
Nancy says
Hello Dawn,
I am so sorry you don't like the pecans. I think perhaps you were looking for more of a glazed version - which these definitely are not:-) Since you still have all the ingredients, I would simply candy the pecans. This recipe, from Martha Stewart should work nicely. I would start by adding 1/4 cup bourbon to the pan and reduce it by about 1/2 - 3/4's and then add the rest of the ingredients and complete the recipe. This should give you a more pronounced bourbon and maple flavor.
Dawn says
Thanks, Nancy. I didn't particularly want a candied nut, just something savory and flavorful. I think if I brined the pecans longer they might have picked up more of the bourbon and maple syrup. I ended up doing a candied version with dried cherries and more bourbon...and now I'm having difficulty not eating them all myself.
Happy Holidays!
Nancy says
Oooohhhh... now those sound delicious!!! And I know exactly what you mean about not eating them yourself... so glad it worked out!!!!
Jeff Gross says
I used these to top a couple of Peach & Pineapple pies I made for for Christmas last year. Since I made a double batch, there was quite a bit left over so I brought the extras separately as snacks. The separate batch got gobbled up almost immediately & the pi was a total hit. I'm doing it again this year, people still ask me about these.
Nancy says
Hello Jeff!!
Oh my goodness, those pies sound fantastic and the the pecans would definitely be wonderful on top! So glad you are enjoying them! Happy holidays!!!