Need an idea for an appetizer? A dessert? Or something that can just be scooped out of a bowl for a handy, protein-packed snack? Nuts to the rescue! Since they come in such a vast variety, there are countless ways to incorporate them into dishes across the menu and across the globe.

So, how do you use them? Give us your best recipes that incorporate Nuts. As always, when posting your recipe, please clearly delineate the ingredient list, the directions, and any other helpful notes you might have.

Here’s a snack and a dessert from my collection that drive people, well, nutty.

Sugar-Coated Pecans

Ingredients

• 1 pound pecan halves
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 250° F. Lightly grease a foil-lined baking/cookie sheet.

2) In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white, vanilla, and cold water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

3) Add the pecans to the egg white mixture, and stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the baking sheet.

4) Bake for 1 hour, stirring the nuts every 15 minutes.

Notes

-Maybe add a pinch of cardamom or two to the dry ingredients, if desired.

Almond Cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar, plus an additional 2 teaspoons
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.

2) Combine the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add a pinch of salt, and the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in the flour.

3) Pour the batter into the cake pan. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons sugar and slivered almonds over the top.

4) Bake 35-40 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5) Remove cake from pan and cool on wire rack.

Notes

-You may want to have more than 2 teaspoons of extra sugar/2 tablespoons slivered almonds on hand for sprinkling on the top of the batter.

-This cake is very almondy, so make sure you’re in the mood for strong flavor.