December Holidays
These Dishes and Drinks Taste Like December
9 tries at getting into a holiday spirit
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We don’t blame you if you feel like skipping this holiday season. But with more pandemic-related challenges in front of us, perhaps we can turn to holiday dishes and drinks to lift our spirits, especially since we’re stuck primarily at home. Here are a few suggestions.
1. Make some sweet and spicy snacks.
Spiced nuts are more satisfying than you’d think, especially when you make them yourself. I like this strange flavor recipe, but the ones below are a bit more moderate, yet still match the savory-sweet juxtaposition.
Caramelized Spiced Nuts
Makes: 4 to 6 servings. Time: About 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (about 1 pound) unsalted shelled nuts
Instructions
Heat the oven to 450°F. Grease a baking sheet with the oil. Put a large skillet over high heat and add 2 cups water and the sugar. Bring to a boil and stir in the garam masala, cayenne, salt, and nuts. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced to a syrup, 5 to 10 minutes.
Turn the heat to low. Remove the nuts with a slotted spoon, letting the excess syrup drain off a bit, and spread the nuts on the baking sheet. Be sure to turn off the burner when you’ve finished.
Roast the nuts for 10 minutes, tossing once or twice with a spatula. Remove from the oven and let cool — the sugar coating will be very hot, so resist sampling for a few minutes! The sugar coating will harden as the nuts cool. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 or 3 days.
