Description
You won’t go back to store bought nut butter after making your own. It’s easy to do, tastes so much fresher, you can use any nut or even a blend, and, most importantly, you know exactly what’s going in it. All you need is a food processor or high-speed blender. Each nut behaves differently because of texture and oil content, and different processors will take different times, so it’s really a matter of experimentation.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of tree nuts (choose your favorite)
Instructions
- Roast 1 cup of nuts. You can use raw nuts, but the flavors and ability to make butter are greatly enhanced after roasting in a 350°F oven for 8-12 minutes. The denser nuts – almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and macadamias – take a bit longer than walnuts, pecans and pistachios. Check after 8 minutes; they should be just browning and aromatic. Allow to cool to room temperature. Hazelnuts can be bitter if you keep on the skin, so place the nuts in a dish towel and rub off most of the skin before processing.
- Add nuts to food processor and pulse on and off, first to crumbs, then continue to process until a paste starts to form. Scrape down sides, then continue to process until desired consistency. This may take 10-12 minutes, sometimes up to 20 minutes in less powerful processors. If it’s not looking like a paste is forming, add a few drops of a nut or olive oil to help the process.
- Flavor (or not). You may just like to eat your nut butter pure and natural, or make your own designer butter adding ingredients such as honey, maple syrup, soy, chili, nutmeg, chocolate (think Nutella) truffle oil, or stir in jam or jelly to make a swirl.
Tips
Storage – It’s best to store the nut butter in a sealed jar in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to a month.
Variations
- Almond butter: Spread on warm bruschetta and top with sautéed mushrooms (wonderful with chanterelles if they’re in season) and sage. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and pepper.
- Walnut butter: Spread crackers with walnut butter, then top with brie cheese and a fruit paste such as quince or fig. Then all you need is wine!
- Hazelnut butter: Add to a toasted tomato and cheese sandwich with some fresh basil leaves or arugula and a drizzle of good olive oil to complete the experience.
- Pecan butter: The sweet, rich and toasty notes of pecan butter need little to make it great. Simply spread on grain toast with honey and a sliced banana for a delicious meal.
- Pistachio butter: Spread on pizza crust before topping with vegetables, mortadella and mozzarella.
- Cashew butter: Perfect for Asian-inspired dishes. Whisk cashew butter with soy sauce and lime juice and toss through noodles just before serving.
- Brazil nut butter: Avocado toast spread with Brazil nut butter adds a unique depth and is especially great with a garnish of cherry tomatoes, mint and ricotta.
- Macadamia Butter: Just like real butter, macadamia butter makes the base to a wonderful healthier shortbread, or spread it on hot scones with jam for a decadent treat.
Description
By Jenny Shea Rawn, MS, MPH, RD, recipe developer and healthy food blogger at My Cape Cod Kitchen
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 cup California walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) salted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Pierce sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork or sharp knife. Let sweet potatoes cool slightly then slice open lengthwise and spread open slightly. Mash pulp of each sweet potato with a fork.
- Combine chopped walnuts, cranberries, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt into a medium bowl; mix well.
- Mound each sweet potato with 1/3 cup cranberry walnut mixture. Place sweet potatoes back in oven and bake an additional 15 minutes, until topping is warm and fragrant. Remove sweet potatoes from oven.
- Drizzle sweet potatoes with maple syrup and serve warm.
Description
This classic spinach salad is dressed up with Candied California walnuts, blue cheese, prosciutto and pomegranate arils.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Candied Walnuts
- 1 cup California walnuts
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Salad
- 10 cups baby spinach
- 8 strips prosciutto
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
- 2 firm but ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
Instructions
- To prepare dressing, stir together onion, vinegar and Dijon in a small bowl. Slowly add olive oil and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper.
- To prepare Candied Walnuts, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook for 5 minutes to toast. Add sugar and cook for a few minutes more or until walnuts are nicely glazed.
- Place salad ingredients in a large bowl and sprinkle with Candied Walnuts. Toss well to coat and serve immediately.
Description
You will fall in love with this ultimate pumpkin bread recipe loaded with California walnuts, aromatic fall spices and a crunchy sugar crust.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup chopped California walnuts
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- Top with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and coat with flour.
- Whisk together flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg in a large. Add walnuts and toss to coat.
- Whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened, being careful not to over mix.
- Spread batter in prepared pan and sprinkle sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan and slicing.
