Dawn's Candied Walnuts

391 Reviews

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Ready In: 30 min

“These walnuts are a special treat for Christmas, and are well worth the time it takes to make them.” - by Dawn Timmerman

Ingredients

1 pound walnut halves
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Metric US

Original recipe yields 1 pound

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread nuts in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn brown and the smell of roasting nuts fills the kitchen.
Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage of 236 degrees F (113 degrees C). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately. .
Add walnuts to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork. Cool, and store in airtight containers.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (16 total)

Calories
238 cal
12%

Fat
18.6 g
29%

Carbs
16.9 g
5%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Reviews (391)

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445

losangeles71

Jan. 25, 2004

"The "soft ball stage" is when you can dribble a bit of the mixture into a bowl of water, then scoopr it up and form it into a ball that can be flattened. In other words, the ball should hold its shap..." See moree (i.e., not fall apart), but should be "squishable" --not like a marble. For me, this happened at 8 minutes without a problem, so you probably don't even need to worry about the soft ball stage."

256

CHILICAT

Jan. 25, 2004

"Wow! This took almost no time at all and are definitely addictive! Watch the sugar mixture carefully, because mine reached the soft ball stage after just 3-4 minutes at medium-low (I turned the flame..." See more down because I was using a small 2qt pot). If you're not sure how to tell when it's done, check out www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/sugar-stages.html. It has short videos of the different candy making stages and has been a lifesaver for me. These nuts are so crispy and delicious -- I'll bet pecans would be terrific too!"

215

Pina

Feb. 9, 2009

"Thank you so much for this perfect recipe!!!! My family LOVES these. If you don't boil the syrup enough, the nuts come out cloudy and the sugar forms crystals that are kind of powdery but they still..." See more taste good. Try using pecans and substituting a 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom or Chinese five spice powder instead of 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Also, I dump the nuts out on a SILPAT or on parchment paper to "dry". Last time I made them I must have not boiled the syrup enough, and I didn't think they were ever going to set, but I left them out on the parchment paper overnight, and they turned out perfectly. Thanks again."

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