We bought some seasoned pecans at a specialty shop in Gruene, Texas, last year and really enjoyed them. I've been trying to duplicate the recipe ever since. This recipe is a little different that the type we purchased, as they didn't have an egg white coating, but this looked interesting so we thought we'd give it a chance.
Preheat oven to 300°F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray
Combine:
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1-1/2 t. chili powder
3/4 t. cinnamon
pinch cayenne
1 egg white
2 cups pecan halves
Mix sugar and spices together. Beat the egg white until frothy. Toss the pecans into the egg white and stir. Sprinkle with the spice mixture, stir to coat, then the lift the pecans out of the bowl one by one and spread on the prepared baking sheet, separating them as much as possible. Discard any leftover sugar-egg mixture.
You can use as little as a heaping tablespoon of the spice mixture, or all of it, depending on how flavorful you want the final product to be. A heaping tablespoon gives a nice lightly seasoned product enjoyed even by folks who don't like spicy foods.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to another baking sheet. Break pecans apart as necessary. When completely cool store covered in a dry place. Should keep for at least a week.
