Peri Peri and Fennel Spiced Nuts with Dried Fruits

Surprise your guest with this cocktail nut mix that's boldly seasoned with peri-peri sauce and toasted fennel seed. Use hot peri-peri sauce if you prefer some heat.

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Serving Size: 3 tablespoons

• 1 tablespoon McCormick Gourmet™ Fennel Seed
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Sicilian Sea Salt
• 1 cup salted roasted whole almonds
• 1 cup salted whole cashews
• 1/4 cup peri-peri sauce
• 1/2 cup diced dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

10 mins Prep time 1 hrs Cook time

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Heat small skillet on medium heat. Add fennel seed; cook and stir 1 minute or until fragrant. Immediately pour out of hot pan to avoid over-toasting. Finely crush seeds using a small clean coffee grinder, rolling pin or a mortar and pestle. Mix ground fennel seed and sea salt in small bowl
• Place nuts in large bowl. Add peri-peri sauce; toss until nuts are evenly coated. Sprinkle with fennel seed mixture; toss to coat well. Spread nut mixture in single layer on baking sheet sprayed with no stick cooking spray
• Bake 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly, then break apart. Cool completely. Stir in dried fruit. Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks

Cooking tip

Test Kitchen Tip: Peri-peri sauce is a fiery chile sauce with origins in Portugal and Africa. It is often used as a marinade for chicken or shrimp, or as a condiment. It can be purchased in gourmet markets or online specialty stores.

Source:  mccormick.com