Name: Roasted Nuts with Five-Spice and Ginger
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 1 large egg white; 1 tablespoon Coca-Cola; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 pound unsalted nuts (see note); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 1/2 teaspoons five-spice powder

Why This Recipe Works

Oil, melted butter, and other common nut coatings made for greasy hands and didn’t coat the nuts evenly. We found egg whites mixed with a little cola and salt worked best. Slow-roasting the nuts at a low temperature ensured that they cooked completely without scorching the exterior.

Before You Begin

We like macadamia nuts and cashews in this mix. The cola lends sweetness and depth of flavor. To double the recipe, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and bake the nuts on two baking sheets, switching and rotating the sheets halfway through baking.

Instructions

COAT NUTS Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Whisk egg white, coca-cola, and salt in large bowl. Add nuts and toss to coat. Drain in colander thoroughly, 4 to 5 minutes.

SEASON NUTS Mix sugar, ginger, and five-spice powder in large bowl. Add drained nuts and toss to coat. Spread nuts evenly on prepared baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking time. Cool completely. Break nuts apart and serve. (Nuts can be stored in airtight container for 3 weeks.)