Candied Peanuts

Cookout #2 was today, and thanks to a wonderful brunch with Angela, I was short on time for preparations.  Luckily, David Leibovitz came to my rescue, yet again. These candied nuts are simple as could be, but vigilance is the trick. I walked away from the stove at one point, and when I returned a minute later, I was this close to having a skillet full of burnt nuts.


The end result was delicious. In fact, better than delicious. Like the Lay's potato chip company said, "Bet you can't eat just one!"

Candied Peanuts

Recipe Adapted from David Leibovitz
Ingredients:
2 cups raw peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
a sprinkle of coarse sea salt
ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a wide, heavy-duty skillet, mix the peanuts with the sugar and water. Cook the ingredients over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid seizes up. It will take a few minutes.

At this point, the peanuts will get crusty and the sugar will crystallize.

The peanuts will become dry and sandy, which is perfectly normal. Don’t worry; you didn’t mess up. Lower the heat and keep going, scraping up any syrup collecting in the bottom of the pan and stir the peanuts in it, coating them as much as possible.

As you go, tilt the pan, removing it from the heat from time-to-time to regulate the heat and the syrup, so you can coat the nuts with the liquid as it darkens without burning the peanuts or the syrup.

Right before they’re done, sprinkle the peanuts with a sizable pinch of flaky salt (and pinch of cinnamon or chili powder, if you want), stir them a couple of times, then tilt the peanuts out onto a baking sheet or countertop.

Let the peanuts cool completely, then break up any clumps. Store in an airtight container, where they’ll keep up to a week.