my new favorite snack SUGARED PEANUTS

    
      I served two different layer cakes (three of each kind), at my daughter's recent graduation party.  One was a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream and fresh raspberries.  The other cake was the peanut butter cake I made this spring for her 18th birthday. This time, however, instead of a fluffy, 7-minute frosting, it was covered in a chocolate buttercream and topped with Sugared Peanuts.  I was fortunate to still have peanuts for decoration on the day of the party.  I was stealing small bites of the Sugared Peanuts prior to the event, and once I offered them to family and friends who were helping me prepare for the party, they started disappearing quickly.  The best part?  They are super-easy to make!  You can have them mixed up and baked in no time to replenish your stash!

                                                Sugared Peanuts
                                      from Four-Star Desserts by Emily Luchetti

• 2 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups shelled peanuts

1.  Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2.  In a medium bowl whisk the egg whites until frothy.  Stir in the sugar.  Add the peanuts and mix until well combined.
3.  Spread the peanuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast the peanuts, stirring them every 5 minutes, until they are dry and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
•  Sugared peanuts will keep for several days stored in an airtight container.

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