five spice candied nuts and flakes

a sweet-salty, crispy-crunchy snack that's perfect for gifting

candied nuts are one of my all time favorite treats during the holidays. they’re great to have out on the table between meals and make a really nice (not to mention easy) edible gift. these particular candied nuts use five spice, a chinese spice mix that’s most often relegated to savory recipes (more on that below), and while they’re clearly still sweet, they’re not overpoweringly so thanks to a salty edge, plenty of warming cinnamon and ginger and a subtle hint of sweet licorice.

five spice powder is a spice mix commonly used across china, taiwan and some regions in vietnam and thailand. it typically includes star anise, cloves, cinnamon or cassia (aka chinese cinnamon), sichuan peppercorn and fennel seeds, but different mixes can contain up to 13 spices, including salt and dried citrus rinds. it’s often used and is so delicious with fatty braised or stewed proteins like duck and pork, offering a complex aroma and hint of sweetness that’s the perfect foil to the savory meat.

before and after baking

to me, the flavors that come through most (at least with the five spice i have) are the sweet licorice from the star anise and fennel and the warm, peppery notes from the cloves and cinnamon. it’s not a classic holiday spice mix, but it’s also not completely outside of that realm and actually fits in nicely with many sweet holiday bakes like sugar cookies (add a pinch to the rolling sugar or the dough), banana breads, spiced fruit pies or galettes, granola, cinnamon rolls and even chocolate cakes. start small with about 1/4 teaspoon, as five spice is quite strong and can easily be overpowering in large amounts.

if you’re not that interested in five spice or want to take these candied nuts into a different direction feel free to swap it out with pumpkin spice, cardamom, cinnamon, or even cayenne pepper or smoked paprika. you can also adjust the nuts you use here, swapping in walnuts or hazelnuts, or using only pecans for instance (they’re always my favorite), but the mix definitely adds a bit more interest and fun in combination with the cornflakes.

i added the cornflakes for a couple of reasons, the main one probably being that i love them (in case that wasn’t obvious from this cookie recipe). they also add a light, crisp crunch that pairs well with the heartier texture of the nuts, and let’s be honest, nuts are expensive. whether you’re gifting or making them for yourself, candied nuts always go really fast, so fleshing out the mix with something cheaper but still delicious is a great way to stretch the holiday dollars a bit further without feeling like you’ve lost anything. i didn’t test it, but i think this would also work well with other simple cereals like plain chex, kix or cheerios.

some other edible gift ideas: granola, cereal, jam (use plums instead!), magic shell.

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makes about 500 grams / 1 pound

100 grams granulated sugar

110 grams brown sugar

1 teaspoon five spice powder (when buying, look for mixes without added salt; if the one you have has salt, halve the amount of salt called for in this recipe)

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg white

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1 tablespoon water

150 grams cornflakes

125 grams raw pecan halves

125 grams raw almonds

75 grams raw cashews

1. preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. add sugar, brown sugar, five spice, ginger, cinnamon and salt to a bowl and stir to combine.

2. in a separate large bowl, beat the egg white, vanilla extract and water with a whisk until stiff peaks form; this is easy enough to do by hand as it’s just one egg white. add the nuts and flakes to the egg white mixture and toss to coat. sprinkle the sugar and five spice mixture into the bowl and stir to coat evenly.

3. once evenly mixed, spread the mixture into a single layer on the baking sheet. bake for about 35 - 45 minutes, stirring well every 15 minutes, making sure you move the nuts and flakes from the edges in and the center out. once deeply browned and fragrant, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. transfer to an airtight container and keep for up to one month.