Rosemary Roasted Cashews

We have about 10 pounds of cashews in the house right now. The boy looooves nuts! (I'll wait while you crack a clever joke.) And in the ranking of nuts, cashews are his favorite.

Me? Nuts are nice, but I don't mainline them like he does. In fact, I can win a staring contest with a bowl of nuts, that is, until you coat those suckers with butter, herbs, spices, and sugar, and then my eyelashes go all aflutter.

I've played around with a few spiced nut recipes, but never found one that I was in love with. The spices are always a bit off, or too overwhelming. And if it's a recipe that calls for brown sugar, maple syrup, or some other sweetener, the nuts are too sweet or sticky.

Enter the recipe for rosemary roasted cashews from Ina Garten, a woman who apparently can do no wrong — and is blessed with fabulous gay friends that are always making table centerpieces for her.I like to search out the cashews with extra globs of sugar.

This recipe is the perfect spiced nut recipe — not too sweet, just a little kick from the cayenne, and a delicate flavor from rosemary. We've made the recipe multiple times in the past few months (actually, I only found the recipe, and the boy made the nuts), and each time, I cannot stop eating them, that's how good the nuts are. This recipe is a keeper.

Rosemary Roasted Cashews
adapted from Ina Garten
makes about 3 cups

1 1/4 pounds cashew nuts, raw or already roasted
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted

• Spread nuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
• When the nuts are done roasting, toss the warm nuts in the rosemary mixture until coated.
  
• Serve warm, or cool and store in an airtight container.