I would like to update my review. I have made these numerous times and they are well received. I have continued to use the two egg whites although I am not sure if it is necessary or not. I use 2 tsp. of water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. They turn out wonderful. This is an outstanding recipe. I do make a slight change in the directions. I whip my egg whites in my 5 quart bowl from my Kitchen Aid Mixer. I add the pecans and stir. I then slowly add the sugar mixture right into the bowl with the pecans. I mix after each small addition of sugar. I find it mixes well this way. I have tried the ziploc bag method and find it is not necessary. All in one bowl works well for me. Another update as of 10/2009. I have continued to make these for parties and gifts. I get many requests for the recipe. In the past I always used sugar made from sugar beets. Recently I switched to buying sugar made from sugar cane. I have to say I prefer these made with sugar from sugar beets. It seems like the sugar from sugar cane melts more so the pecans look a bit different. They still taste okay, but I will be buying sugar from sugar beets again for this recipe.
Wow, wow, wow! Earns all 5 stars easily. Even better after they cool off because they get much crunchier. Your house will smell great!
Made the recommended modifications: (1) 2 egg whites for more moisture (2) used 1 T. vanilla instead of water - this makes for a very strong scented egg white mixture which made me nervous, but the final nuts taste perfect (3) 1 tsp. cinnamon.
Great recipe for holiday snacking. Definitely use 2 gallon-size ziploc bags with this recipe: Put the egg mixture in 1 bag and the sugar mixture in the other. Add the pecans to the first bag to coat, then transfer them to the 2nd bag and shake. Much easier to thoroughly coat the pecans!
I'm so impressed with this recipe that I went out and bought 5 pounds of whole pecans (at over $9.00 per pound!)and plan to put them in the 20+ baskets I give out at Christmas along with cookies, jams, and my famous lemon bread. Does anyone know how long they will last? Can they be frozen? Thanks! ** An update....the original recipe is the best for the most part...I tried it with vanilla...better with water.....also tried with brown sugar.....white is better. Two things I did do....used 2 egg whites and almost twice as much cinnamon. I got so many requests for the recipe. I will include these nuts in my baskets every year from now on. Easy and soooo tasty! Oh, and the kitchen smells wonderful while they are baking too...BTW, they freeze beautifully!
I used 1 cup Splenda in place of white sugar and it was great!
This is a great recipe. It was a bit easier for me to put the egg white in a gallon ziploc bag and the sugar mix in a bag and put the pecans in the egg white and flip it around and then dump them in the sugar and flip it around. A lot less clean up that way too. Great flavor.
I don't normally post reviews, but this time I felt like I had to. The first time I made these I followed the recipe (even though the majority of reviews suggested otherwise). They were awesome! I figured if they were that good without making the suggested changes, they would be even better if I made the suggested changes (adding an additional egg white, and using vanilla instead of water). Well, I was VERY disappointed. They turned out chewy, and more glazed, instead of having the crunchy sweet coating on them that I loved when I followed the recipe. Plus, I felt like the vanilla deterred from the yummy spice flavor of the cinnamon. So, I've now made them a 3rd time and have to tell you that they are so much better if you follow the recipe. I normally tweak recipes based upon the suggestions in reviews, and if you did the same and never tried them the way the recipe states you may be happy, but if you try them without making the changes they will be even better! The only change I will say that I think helps is adding more cinnamon. I doubled it up but I suggest leaving everything else the same. Don't add more egg whites, and don't substitute the vanilla!
I have been making these pecans for at least 30 years but use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Some reviewers add vanilla; I find that masks the taste of the pecans too much. If you re having a sticking problem put 1 Tablespoon butter on a large baking sheet with sides. Place pan in the preheated oven to melt butter. Remove from oven and spread butter over entire bottom of pan. No need to drag out the Kitchen-Aid or use plastic bags just wisk 1 large egg white and 1 Tablespoon of water until frothy this is enough liquid to coat 1 pounds of nuts. Add the pecans to the egg white mixture and using a rubber spatula keep folding and stirring the pecans until completely coated. Add nuts to bowl with sugar mixture and again using a rubber spatula keep folding and stirring the pecans until completely coated. When the pecans are properly coated there will be no sugar mixture left in the bowl. Be sure to spread pecans on the buttered baking sheet in a single layer and don t forget to stir every 15 minutes while baking. I bake mine at 300 degrees F for 1 hour and have never had a problem with the nuts burning. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container and store at room temperature. Will last several weeks if they aren t eaten before that!
This is an excellent recipe. Very easy to make. I don't usually like sweet roasted pecans, but my husband wanted these to put on top of ice cream. The salt in the recipe is what makes it so good. I also added just a little extra cinnamon, and baked them on Reynolds release foil with no oil, it worked great. Easy clean up, just tossed the foil and I was done.
