I often make Sugar Coated Nuts. It is very easy to make and it doesn’t take long at all. ‘Cinnamon Sugar Coated Almonds’ are the most popular, but you can use other Nuts and other Spices. Today I used Peanuts and added Ground Chilli. Chilli and Sugar are a good combination. It’s quite addictive.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Roasted Peanuts
*Note: You can use Salted Roasted Peanuts. Just shake off excess Salt before use.
1/4 cup Brown Sugar *very firmly packed, White Sugar can be used
1 pinch Salt *DO NOT add if Peanuts are salted
2 tablespoons Water
1/8 teaspoon Ground Chilli *reduce the amount for milder heat

Method
  1. Place all ingredients in a small frying pan OR saucepan, and cook on medium heat.
  2. The dark colour liquid is getting thick and it soon starts looking like caramel. This stage you worry when to stop cooking because the caramel would quickly become sticky like toffee. DO NOT worry, and keep cooking stirring.
  3. Does it really look like caramel? NO, it’s not caramel. It’s OK to keep cooking stirring.
  4. When you keep cooking, the caramel-like liquid starts turning to dry sugar-like. That’s the point to decide when to stop. You can stop cooking when all Peanuts are well coated and look dry. Place them on baking sheet and cool.
  5. *Warning: After the thick dark caramel-like liquid turned to dry sugar-like, if you still keep cooking, the sugar starts to melt and turn to real caramel. Caramel coated nuts are delicious, but they stick to each other and they are not easy to handle. You might end up spending hours to clean up the pan.
  6. *Note: The photo below is the same Chilli Sugar Coated Peanuts made with White Caster Sugar.