Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
¼ cup olive oil
¾ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon (or 10 grinds) black pepper
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ cup toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Prepare Brussels sprouts, remove any yellow or brown outer leaves, cut off the stem and cut in half.

3. In large bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper together.  Once all of the Brussels sprouts are coated in oil, spread them on to a 9x13 inch (or larger) baking dish or sheet pan to roast.  Note: You may want to line your sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup because the caramelizing process leaves a sticky residue.

4. After 15 minutes, stir the Brussels sprouts with a spatula to even out the browning. After 30 minutes, stir in the maple syrup.

5. Continue to roast the Brussels sprouts for about 15 more minutes, or until they are fork tender (about 45 minutes total roasting time).

6. Toss the roasted Brussels sprouts with the nuts and devour!  Serves 6