Each year at the holidays I like to make some sort of new party nut mix. It’s great to have around for snacks and also a perfect hostess gift. I was happy to be able to use some of the last of my fresh sage from my garden to prepare these nuts.

These nuts are easy to make. Don’t be afraid of making brown butter. As long as you watch it and are the lookout for a change in smell, it’s easy to do. Using brown butter (versus simply heating butter until it melts) imparts an added nuttiness. And, brown butter and sage pair so nicely together. You’ll often see it as a ‘comfort food’ pasta sauce but in this case it’s used to dress up cashews. Adding honey at the end brings just a tad of sweetness.

While I made this recipe using cashews, you could use other nuts such as almonds or walnuts or a mixture of all three. You can freeze them for up to three months, so why not make a batch (or two) ahead of time?

Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free Note:  This recipe is entirely gluten-free/wheat-free so is a nice gift for someone on a restricted diet (that doesn’t include nut allergies).

Brown Butter-Sage Cashews

 

Brown Butter-Sage Cashews
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Author:
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 pound roasted, unsalted cashews
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread cashews on sheet in one layer. Toast cashews 5 to 8 minutes, until they are warm and fragrant.
  2. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the butter begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty. Add sage and cook, stirring, for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the butter is dark golden and the sage is frizzled but not burnt. Remove from heat and stir in honey.
  3. Place warm cashews in a large bowl. Pour butter mixture over cashews and toss with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with salt and toss again.
  4. Transfer cashews back to parchment lined baking sheet to cool.
  5. Serve cashews warm or keep sealed at room temperature for up to a week. Cashews can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
* Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
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Source:  Adapted from The Kitchn