Slowly smoked pecans that have been tossed in a sweet cinnamon sugar rub. These are great as a holiday snack or put into a mason jar as an edible gift.
In a medium sized bowl combine the sugar rub ingredients and stir to incorporate.
How To Candy Pecans
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees using a fruit wood like apple or cherry.
In a kitchen mixer add the whites of two eggs and vanilla extract. Put the mixer on high until the whites are whipped with stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.
Toss pecans in with whipped egg whites and stir with a spoon. This will help the sugar rub stick to the nuts and coat them thoroughly. Toss the egg white coated nuts with the sugar mix, stir again with a spoon until coated, and then lay them out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place the baking sheet on the smoker, and smoke for 60 minutes, tossing once halfway though.
If giving as a gift, distribute into mason jars and wrap a little ribbon on them with a personalized note. Or serve warm.
Notes
These can be stored for up to four weeks in a mason jar. They make a great topping for salads or a holiday pie.If making for a gift, be sure to measure the jar size with the amount of pecans needed. If increasing the recipe quantity, try to plan 2 pounds of pecans per full size sheet tray. Any more and it will crowd the tray. So it's better to do separate batches.