Help me modify a recipe for the smoker

[EZ Smoker]

My wife got a recipe for spiced mixed nuts off the TV a few years back.  It tends to show up around the holidays and makes a nice holiday gift for family/friends who don't eat sweets.   I bought a bunch of mixed nuts to try this recipe in the Bradley.   The recipe calls for baking at 350 for 10 minutes.   How long and what temp might be a good idea in the OBS?   Here's the recipe:

(For the record, this recipe came from Sara Moulton's show, courtesy of Georgia Downard.)

3 TBS unsalted butter
1 TBS dried crumbled rosemary
0.5 tsp cayenne, or to taste
3 cups mixed nuts
(if nuts are salted, we don't add salt, or add very little salt.  If nuts are UNsalted, add 1.5 tsp salt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter with dried rosemary, salt, and cayenne. Pour this mixture over 3 cups mixed nuts, tossing to coat them. Bake the nuts on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

[FLBentRider]

I would do them in the smoker @250F for about 45 minutes to an hour.

If you want more smoke flavor, try using just the SG for an hour or two, then crank up the heat.

My experience with nuts is that they need 3 to four hours of smoke.

[StickyDan]

Just a thought based on my own, limited experience.  I've smoked several batches of nuts in the DBS and I've really been experimenting.  On the last few attempts, I coated the nuts with some oil and tossed with some different rubs.  250 for about an hour of hickory seems to do the trick for me but I'm still experimenting with that also.  Careful, nuts will burn. (stoopid school of hard knocks!!!)
The last batch barely had any smoke flavor at all.   So, I've decided that next time, I'll -
- smoke the nuts for 1 hr at 250
- add the rub (might not need any oil now that the oils from the nuts is hot - I'll play that by ear)
- return to smoker to finish. 
- enjoy with beer.

Let us know how they turn out.

[ArnieM]

I'm with FLBR on that.  Baking them is one thing.  Smoking is another.  Being hard and dry they don't pick up much smoke so a longer smoke time works.  It depends on how smokey you want them.  Personally, I'd up the cayenne a little or add a little wasabi powder.  Just my taste.

It seems to me that Sara makes pretty bland stuff.  But, at least there's always a cocktail of some sort at the end  ;D

[Habanero Smoker]

I use 1:40 hours of pecan bisquettes; for me that is plenty of smoke especially if you have them coated with the melted butter. I would mix all the ingredients, and placed them on prepared smoke racks, and apply smoke with the heating element off. I do stir them one or two times during the smoke time. After the smoke has been applied I place them on a rim cookie sheet, and move them to a 350°F preheated oven, so I can roast them faster. Monitor them closely so that they do not burn, and stir them every 1 - 2 minutes.

[FLBentRider]

I usually use raw almonds.

[EZ Smoker]

Okay, I'm finally getting around to working out my plan here.   I'm using Planters Mixed Nuts with Sea Salt, which I bought at Sam's.   I figure I should add the butter, rosemary, and cayenne before smoking them, then cold (so to speak) smoke them for maybe 2 hours, then bring them inside to the kitchen oven where I'll bake them the normal way (350* for 10 minutes).

I can't do them tomorrow because my smoker's gonna be busy with some spareribs I got on sale ($1.99/lb) at Albertson's.   But I'll try to get them done soon.   

I've got 2 pounds 8 oz of these nuts, but should I try just a small batch, since this is my first time smoking nuts?

[StickyDan]

Nah, it's pretty hard to screw up nuts.  Someone always eats em!

[Habanero Smoker]

Finishing the smoked nuts in the oven is the best way to do it, but when you roast them keep an eye on them. I've come close to ruining a few batches, because I didn't monitor them when they were in the oven. If not monitored you can end up burning them.

[deb415611]

It seems to me that Sara makes pretty bland stuff.  But, at least there's always a cocktail of some sort at the end  ;D

I think you have her confused with Sandra Lee (big difference between Sara Moulton & Sandra Lee, I don't ever remember a cocktail on Sara's shows, she does the old fashioned real cooking shows)

[EZ Smoker]

I smoked, then roasted the nuts Sunday night.   So far, they're meeting w/good reviews.    Thanks for all the help.