Perfectly toasted buttery pecans glazed in a sweet citrus sauce made from plenty of orange rinds, butter, brown sugar, and rum. The coating isn't too thick but still gives the pecans a snap. This simple party snack is so easy to make and a nice complement to any cocktail.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 55 minutesminutes
Servings 2cups
Ingredients
1Cor 2 sticks butter
¼Cdark brown sugar
1orange
1-2Tbdark rum
1.5lbpecan halves
1tspkosher salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Combine butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and start to melt over medium-low heat. Using a Microplane grater, finely grate 1 Tb of orange zest. Add to the butter. Then using a vegetable peeler, remove the remaining orange rind in large strips and add to the butter.
Juice the orange into a liquid measuring cup. You need a total of 3 Tb of liquid for the recipe so first pick how much rum you'd like to add. 1 Tb just adds a flavor backdrop where 2 Tb will give the pecans a more boozy taste. Add enough fresh orange juice (1-2 Tb) to equal 3 Tb of liquid to the butter mixture.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a low boil. As soon as the liquid reaches a boil, turn off the heat. Add the pecan halves and butter to a large mixing bowl and toss well to combine.
Spread the nuts evenly across the prepared baking sheet. Don't worry if the mixture looks too liquidy. You're going to drain the pecans before serving.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The pecans will reach a deep golden color and will absorb some of the liquid. There will still be some remaining though so once the pecans are cooked, strain them. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
These are amazing warm, but you can also store them in an airtight container for up to a week.