Low Sugar Candied Walnuts (pecans or almonds) - walnuts, shredded coconut, egg white, sugar, stevia (optional), salt

5 months ago
41

Low Sugar Candied Walnuts (pecans and almonds also work, but almonds will not have the stick factor that pecans and walnuts have because of the inherent creviced landscape of walnuts and pecans)

Makes 5 cups

Ingredients
1 lb walnut halves and pieces (only walnut pieces will not work, poor results)
1 egg white - large or XL egg (room temp is best)
1 soup spoon water (to be added to egg white to get it "frothy foamy"

White sugar (I used less than a 1/4 cup in video). If I don't use the dark sugar I might increase it to a rounded 1/4 cup of white sugar. I like adding some dark sugar because the end result has greater flavor dimension

Only Bob's red mill shredded unsweetened coconut. Other shredded coconut grind was either too big (it won't stick) or too small (too dry and not as appealing). Bob's had the right size grate

2 micro-scoops of powder stevia (only powder). I used 2.5 microscoops in the video

Salt - a couple pinches or a couple turns of your salt grinder

optional:
dark sugar - adds more depth 1 soup spoon or a heaping soup spoon (if you add more it will create a darker color and a crisper sheath. Very sensitive to cooking time and must be pulled at exactly the right moment)

POWDER stevia (two to 2.5 micro scoops of powder using the micro scoop in the container. Organic Trader Joes or KAL organic powder stevia. If you make these with stevia they need to fully cool and taste better the following day onwards. I always add a little bit of real sugar when I use stevia, for some reason the end result is way better, even if there is only a soup spoon of sugar for a big batch. My rule applies also for using coconut sugar rather than cane sugar. I have tried coconut sugar with this recipe and it doesn't come out as good as using cane sugar.
Do not use liquid or glycerite stevia - the texture result was chewy, soft and tasted "stale" because it doesn't crisp properly with liquid stevia.

Vanilla - add vanilla paste or liquid to the egg white when whisking into a foam

ginger, cinnamon, or other spices
Raisins

I vary this recipe based on who I am making it for and that person's tastes. I would not make or give this to someone who eats fast food and likes twinkie type foods.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250-260F

Mix sugar (white and dark if you want some dark sugar), couple shakes of salt, stevia (optional)
Add shredded coconut - mix well
Over stir and mix if you have added stevia - it MUST be evenly distributed. You can mix it with the white sugar first if you prefer, then add coconut and last dark sugar (dark sugar is "wetter" and stickier") for even distribution of the stevia powder

Separate one egg, whisk the egg white until bubbling
Add a soup spoon of water - continue whisking the egg white until totally foamy - you should her little or no "liquid" at the bottom of the bowl

Pour in the walnuts - stir until all the walnuts are coated with the egg white foam
Pour in the sugar coconut mixture into foamy egg white (and vanilla if you add vanilla) and STIR until all the dry is stuck to the walnuts with the eggwhite (which is acting like a glue)

Spread out on parchment paper (it will stick to the pan if you don't use the paper and the pan is a hassle to clean)
Bake for 45min at 250-260
If you want it a bit crunchier leave in another 5-10 minutes, but be careful there is a very small window where it goes from crispy perfect to crispy BURNED. You almost have to stand there and wait
Let cool.
It crisps up as it cools

Put in airtight containers. You will eat them before they go bad. Room Temperature storage is fine. If you don't finish them in two weeks time then put in fridge.

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