I think people expect me to have, um… food… for them when they drop by my house. Weird.
Don’t they know I eat popcorn for dinner?
I’m learning.
I’m learning that I need to have at least a few staple items on hand for unexpected house guests: a jar of these spiced nuts, a cold bottle of vodka, fresh oranges and an old school juicer.
What a hostess I’m shaping up to be. Dang.
Nuts and spices need a little glue to be friends.
Egg whites. Winner.
These nuts bake up smokey and spicy with a hint of sweetness and lots of crunch. They’re pretty and satisfying.
And! Sealed in a glass jar with a bow, these nuts make a pretty great hostess gift… just sayin’.
Spicy Roasted Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste after baking
3/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 large egg white
plus generous pinches of each of these spices to sprinkle over the top of the nuts just before they go in the oven.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
Mix together salt, sugar and spices. Set aside.
Whip egg white in a medium bowl until loose and frothy. Add the raw nuts and toss to coat. Add the mixed spices. Toss to coat as evenly as possible.
Spread seasoned nuts in a single layer across the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle nuts with a bit more seasoning. A generous pinch of each. You can totally eyeball it.
Place nuts in the oven and let bake for 7 minutes. Remove nuts from the oven to toss and flip. Return to the oven for another five minutes. Toss and flip them again and then bake for another 3 minutes. Nuts should be nicely browned. Carefully taste the nuts and add more salt to taste. Cool nuts completely before serving. Store in an airtight container for a week.
Lauren at KeepItSweet
i like the combo of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. hope you are feeling better!!
Kylie @ A Hungry Spoon
YUM! LOVE spiced nuts n’ seeds….so very tasty. I’m totally on board with your gift-giving idea as well: I started saving my little nut butter jars last month so I’ll have a handy collection when the holidays roll around to fill with nuts and snack mixes!
Thanks for sharing another fantastic one :) Have a great weekend!
Katrina
I love the combo of pumpkin and sunflower! These would be perfect for guests!
peachkins
you just gave me an idea..
MiloCakeDesign
I like it! Thanks for sharing.
Laura @ SweetSavoryPlanet
This recipe would probably work great for other nuts as well, say like pecans or walnuts or almonds or all of them. Just toast them a little longer. Nice recipe.
Katie
your wit and recipes always make my day…can’t wait to try these!
Style Your Food Recipes
oh yes I am so making this. thanks for sharing
the blissful baker
yumm what a great snack!
Jennifer @ Maple n Cornbread
I love roasted pumpkin seeds but never thought to combine it with other seeds! YUM
Allie (Live Laugh Eat)
I once had roasted pumpkin seeds but with maple syrup and not quite as spicy. So frickin’ good. I totally didn’t think to add egg whites.
Samantha @ Bikini Birthday
Mmm… spiced seeds are the bomb. I’ll have to try this spice mix with mixed nuts.
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
Love that these babies are SPICY!
Tabitha (From Single to Married)
I’m learning something similar – to keep certain ingredients on hand in case I need to whip up a quick batch of something or another.
Wei-Wei
I’ve never thought about using egg whites as a binder… but it’s quite a low-fat alternative, no? Yummy.