Dinner & A Book

Galactic Pub Nuts

• 1/3 cup beer, plus more for the cook
• 1/2 cup  brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 16 ounces) salted peanuts 
•     1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
•      pinch ground ginger

 

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with  parchment paper.
• Dump the beer and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and let it cook, without stirring or otherwise disturbing the contents of the pan, for 3 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and Worcestershire until everything is completely incorporated.  Add the smoked paprika and nuts and stir until each nut is well coated.
• Spread the nuts evenly in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Stir the nuts well and then bake for an additional  8 minutes. The syrup mixture should be bubbling pretty vigorously when you remove the baking sheet from the oven. Sprinkle with the cayenne and ginger. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. As the nuts cool, the coating will go from bubbly to gooey to stretchy to sticky to crisp. 
• Break the nuts apart, if necessary. Toss them in a bowl and serve alongside a beer if you’ve already finished off the rest of the bottle used in the recipe.

This recipe is quite malleable and you are encouraged to adjust it to your taste.  Experiment with the spices and with different styles of beer to find a unique flavor that s just right for you.