One of the most important aspects of making tasty candy is the nuts. They should be toasted before you add them to the candy. Toasting the nuts brings out the flavor of the nuts and keeps them crispy inside the candy.

There are two methods I use for crisping nuts. If I only want to crisp a few nuts (like for a salad,) I’ll place them in an ungreased pan and heat them over low to medium heat until they are slightly browned. Stir or toss the nuts frequently because nuts can burn quickly and are not good when they are burned.

The second method is to place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet in the oven.

• Crisp chopped nuts by placing them in a 300°F oven and turn off the heat. Remove the nuts after 10 minutes.
• Whole nuts should be toasted in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes. Stir the nuts frequently for even browning.

Never toast nuts in butter or oil if they are going to be used in chocolate because the butter or oil may break down the chocolate.

This recipe was adapted from The Complete Wilton Book of Candy.