on nut-toasting

I realized that after being somewhat preachy about the importance of toasting nuts, I didn't actually mention how I do it. Silly me. So, here is an honest rundown of my usual process:

Step 1: Spread nuts on tray and put in preheated oven.

Step 2: Forget there's anything in the oven, and wonder what that odd burning smell is.

Step 3: Throw out charred remainders of nuts and start over, paying slightly more attention this time.

I encourage you all to start with step 3.

But really, it is easy. Just spread the nuts on a tray - for easy clean-up, use whatever you'll be baking in next - and stick them in a 350 degree oven. Check from time to time, and you'll know they're done when they're fragrant and have a crisp snap when you break them in pieces. Usually I find that takes around 7 minutes, but it'll vary depending on your oven and your nuts. So be alert!