Use as many organic ingredients you can find for optimum flavor.
4-6 cups peanut oil or canola oil for deep-frying
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (Ground cinnamon from a whole cinnamon stick is the best. Use a coffee grinder to grind whole sticks. Break stick in two and grind.)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups organic pecan halves
2 cups organic walnut halves and pieces
2 cups organic raw cashews
1 cup powdered sugar sifted
½ cup matchstick size crystallized ginger
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 350º to 375º. Mix next five ingredients in a small bowl.
Place nuts in a sieve, and blanch briefly in hot water and up to 1 minute for larger pieces. Blanching will remove the tannin flavor in the nuts and sweeten them. Immediately toss nuts in powdered sugar. Stir nuts until all sugar is melted and clumps are gone (if clumps remain on nuts, nuts will not fry properly).
Working in small batches, use a large slotted spoon or fry basket submerge nuts in hot oil and fry until golden about one minute. Wait until foam subsides to add more nuts so the oil does not overflow the pot. Remove nuts and place on unlined baking sheet and cool slightly.
While nuts are still warm, transfer to a bowl and toss with ½ of spice mixture. Taste for seasoning add more spice mixture as needed to taste and toss again.
Makes about 6 cups.
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