This is a recipe my dear MIL gave me over 40 years ago. It is always a favorite no matter where I take it.
Candied Walnuts
3 cups cleaned walnut halves (You could probably use other nuts, but most are too hard. You could use soaked and skinned almonds, whole or slivered, and/or pine nuts to make up the volume.
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 or more ground cinnamon
dash of salt
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Have ready a cold slab of marble with a dash of Pam,
or a wax paper covered spot. NOT plastic wrap, it doesn't
seem to work as well.
Cup of cold water
Also have ready a pair of forks, dipped in water.
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Put the sour cream in a heavy skillet and add the brown and
white sugars and dash of salt. Heat till it boils for a minute or
so. Cook and drop into a cup of cold water till it falls into a ball and stays in one piece in the cup.
At this point take off the fire, still stirring, and add the vanilla
and cinnamon. Dump in all the nuts and stir till they are all covered.
Working fast, dump the nuts onto the marble or waxed paper
and with the forks separate them and spread them out. At this point you could add sprinkles or maybe tiny bits of chocolate.
Leave them till they have a dull gloss to them. Or, you can
stick them in the fridge on a tray to harden the sugars.