No matter what holiday you celebrate, it’s a good idea to have some munchies on hand for parties or friends who drop by. These spicy nuts are perfect. Make up a batch ahead of time and wait for the company to arrive— maybe you should make two batches, in case the cook needs feeding.

Spiced nuts

Assorted shelled nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc.)
For sweet and spicy nuts:
Peanut oil, for drizzling
Sugar, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Chinese five-spice powder, to taste

For savory nuts:
Peanut oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt, to taste
Chili powder, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For a sweet and spicy nut, toss your choice of nuts with oil, sugar, salt and a few dashes of Chinese five-spice powder.

For a savory and spicy nut, toss your choice of nuts with oil, salt and a few dashes of chili powder.

Lay out the nuts in an even layer on a baking dish. Bake, redistributing the nuts every 7 minutes or so to make sure they cook evenly, until the nuts are lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.