Food & Drink

Pickapeppa Pecans

The perfect cocktail hour snack

December 16, 2015

While Pickapeppa Hot Sauce actually hails from Jamaica, its flavor profile—spicy-salty-sweet with the oaky undertones that come from barrel aging—meshes perfectly with Southern standbys from barbecue to Bloody Marys. When it collides with pecans, it’s a match made in Southern cocktail-hour heaven.

Ingredients

- 1 pound (about 4 cups) pecan halves
- 1 (5-ounce) bottle Pickapeppa sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preparation

Place the pecans in a large bowl. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the Pickapeppa sauce, water, brown sugar, salt, and smoked paprika. Pour over the pecans and let sit for 1 hour, tossing occasionally to mix. Drain.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the drained nuts in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, tossing once, until fragrant. Let cool on the baking sheet. The nuts will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

TIP: For a sweeter spin, sprinkle the nuts with an additional ¼ cup brown sugar just before you put them in the oven.