Candied Chile Pecans
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsulphured dark molasses
2 teaspoons ground dried red chile
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Grease a 12 x 9-inch baking dish.
In a heavy saucepan,bring all the ingredients except the pecans to a boil over high heat. Add pecans,stir well,and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook the pecans for 10 to 12 minutes,stirring occasionally,until the syrup has been well reduced.
With a slotted spoon,transfer the pecans to the baking dish. Bake the nuts for about 1 1/2 hours,stirring them about halfway through the cooking time. When ready,the pecans will be dark brown and crunchy. Stir them a few more times,and transfer them to wax paper to cool.
If tightly covered,the pecans will keep at least a week.
