Spicy Rosemary-Scented Nuts

I know this seems like such a simple recipe to make…and if you think this way, then you would be correct. But, these nuts are truly amazing and quite versatile. Enjoy them as a snack or add them to your favorite salad or grain dish to create some new flavors and textures. The inspiration for this recipe comes from two completely different sources. The first source is a wonderful restaurant I used to work in when I first arrived in Switzerland. The recipe was basically a spicy mix of nuts, sweetened with butter and sugar, then flavored with a hint of chopped fresh rosemary. Every diner would be greeted with a small dish of these nuts…and the kitchen staff ate half the production in the kitchen each day (I know because I had to make these nuts when I began working in the kitchen). The second source came to me years later as part of my plant-based cooking curriculum. The second version only used pecan nuts. They were also flavored with cayenne pepper and sweetened with agave syrup. So, I combined the flavors of the first source and the technique of the second source and came up with this delicious snack! Yield: about 500 grams (one US pound)