1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1  pinch of {cayenne}, optional
3 cups shelled nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cahews)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously oil a baking sheet.

In a saucepan on medium-high heat, stir together the sugar, 1/4 cup of water, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir constantly for 1 minute, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the nuts and mix well to evenly coat them with the syrup. Remove the coated nuts with a slotted spoon and spread them out on a prepared baking sheet.

Bake until browned, 10-15 minutes, stirring once after 5-6 minutes. After you’ve taken them out of the oven, stir again to break apart any clusters. Allow the nuts to cool before serving.