Crunchy and slightly sweet, these make elegant snacks. Make 2 batches, one for gifts, the other to keep for yourself. Glazed Pecans also make a delicious garnish for soups and salads.

Ingredients

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Line a jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-heat. Stir in the corn syrup, water, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pecans and stir until completely coated.

Spread the nuts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, for about 60 minutes, or until lightly browned and dry.

Advance Preparation

The nuts will keep for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, television personality, spokesperson, freelance food writer, and the award-winning author of 13 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. Paulette's most recently published cookbook is "The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh." She is also the author of "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup" and "The Spirited Vegetarian," which was voted "Best Book in the World on Cooking with Wine" at the 2005 Gourmand World Media Awards. Paulette says that international travel is her favorite source of culinary inspiration.