Aperol-Glazed Nuts

Nuts are a must for aperitivo hour in Italy. You can substitute Aperol with other liqueur. These are salty and sweet and worth whipping up for cocktail hour.

Ingredients:

1 tsp kosher salt

3 Tbl Aperol or Campari

1 Tbl honey

1 large egg white

1 Lb. raw nuts (almonds, cahews -a mixture)

Grated zest of a orange

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a sheet pan with parchment. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and salt and set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the Aperol and honey, then add the egg white and whisk until the mixture froths. Stir in the nuts and toss using a rubber spatula or by hand until well-coated. Drain in a colander, then add the nuts to the bowl with the sugar and salt, stirring to coat evenly.

Spread the nuts on the lined sheet pan and bake for 1 hour, tossing every 20 minutes or so using a rubber spatula to prevent clumping. Once the nuts are golden brown and toasted, remove from the oven and sprinkle with orange zest, then allow to cool to room temperature.

The nuts may clump a bit and will be sticky while hot, so toss by hand to break up any remaining candy coating once cooled. Serve in a bowl to accompany a cheese board, or crush and use as a topping for bruschette, salads, or vegetable. You can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.