#cashews

The problem is that the reason butter works to stick seasoning to goldfish crackers or Chex Mix is that they're baked products that absorb butter. Cashews do not. Butter also reacts strangely with one of the seasoning ingredients (powdered vinegar).

So the problem I was running into was that if the seasoning was correct, it didn't sufficiently stick to the cashews, and if it stuck, it has no flavor. I've spent months testing various ratios and techniques. Eventually -- a lot later than it should have -- it occurred to me to check the ingredients on a box of seasoned cashews that you can buy at the grocery store. There it was, the terrible magic bullet: corn syrup.

Equal parts butter and corn syrup, boiled together and then whisked with baking soda followed by the seasonings, makes a crispy, savory-sweet crust on the cashews once you bake them.

I've already worked out the coating and an original seasoning formula; next on the list is to test substitutes for corn syrup. Then I guess if I want to get any more from scratch I'm gonna have to grow my own cashews. (I already grow the dill.) And I'm starting to experiment with making a Sichuan peppercorn version. But that's for another day.

Hey look, I wrote a recipe blog essay! How fun.

"Dill Pickled" Cashews aka Deez Nutz

Seasoning mix:

1 part each garlic powder and onion powder

2 parts vinegar powder (white or cider)

2.5 parts dried dill

You won't use all of it for the recipe but the mix I make is 5 tsp dill, 4 tsp vinegar powder, 2 tsp each garlic and onion powder (should make almost 4 tbsp of seasoning). Mix thoroughly before measuring the seasoning mix.

Recipe:

3 cups (roughly 1 pound) unsalted, unseasoned cashews; they can be roasted or unroasted

2 tbsp corn syrup

2 tbsp butter

1/8 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp seasoning mix

optional: 1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 250F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Measure the cashews into a largeish mixing bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat corn syrup and butter, stirring over medium heat, until they begin to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda, then sprinkle in seasoning mix and salt while whisking until it's all incorporated. Work fast because the mixture coats better when it's warmer and more liquid, but you do have some wiggle room.

Pour this "seasoning syrup" over the cashews, then stir and turn the cashews until they're all coated. Pour the seasoned cashews onto the baking sheet and place on the oven's middle rack.

Bake at 250F for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes; at the end of the hour give them one last stir -- they should be fairly crisp. Turn off the oven but put the baking sheet back into the oven and leave the cashews in the cooling oven for about an hour (longer won't hurt).