Description
This is your chance to create your own nut delight, whether sweet, salty, bitter, sour or umami. These nuts can be used just to nibble on their own, or as added flavor in a dish. For example, pepper dusted cashews over a salad in place of pepper, honey cinnamon macadamias over cereal rather than sugar, or soy almonds in stir fry. There are many methods for flavoring nuts – here are a few ideas.
Roasted Nuts
There are a few different ways to add seasoning to nuts in the oven:
- Toss 1 cup of nuts in a teaspoon of oil, then dust with spices of choice – chili, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, Chinese five spice, mustard powder or any other powdered herb. Lay on a lined baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes at 350°F until golden brown.
- Place nuts in a casserole dish, drizzle with olive (or preferred nut oil) and scatter fresh sprigs of herbs over top, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage or bay leaves. Even a few thin slices of lemon or orange zest work well. Toss to combine. Place in 350°F oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, tossing once or twice during cooking, until nuts are golden brown and aromatic. Cool and place in sealed jars with the seasonings and zest so flavors can develop.
Sautéed Nuts
Sautéing provides a rich coating for nuts and is best eaten straight away or within a week. These are great on cheese platters and in rice, pasta and stir fries.
- Melt a mixture of 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan.
- When melted, add a teaspoon of powdered seasoning, such as the combinations listed above, and stir until well blended.
- Add a cup of nuts of choice and stir to coat. Cook over medium-low heat, tossing pan constantly, until nuts are golden brown. Pour into a strainer and allow to cool.
Caramelized Nuts
Stove Top:
- Place 1 cup of nuts, ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Seasonings such as cinnamon and nutmeg can be added while stirring.
- Pour onto parchment paper and allow to cool, then break apart with hands. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
Oven then Stovetop Version
- Toast the nuts in the oven first. Next, make a traditional caramel in a saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter and toss in the nuts when ready. Try using a bit of Grand Marnier or other liqueur in the caramel and then pour onto parchment paper to cool.
Sweet-Dusted Nuts
Whether it’s cocoa, mint powder, cinnamon or vanilla, making sweetened nuts is simple and a great alternative to chocolate and candy. Sweet-dusted nuts are great chopped and sprinkled on oatmeal, yogurt or ice cream.
- Toss nuts in whisked egg white, just enough to coat, then add powdered spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or ginger, and a sprinkle of sugar.
- Toss well then transfer to a lined baking sheet and bake on a low heat, 250°F, for 30-40 minutes or until golden and the mixture is caramelized on the nuts.
For Cocoa- or Mint-Dusted Nuts:
- Soften ¼ cup honey until runny. Add a few drops of vanilla if desired, then add 1 cup roasted nuts and toss to coat well. Strain off excess liquid.
- Place cocoa in bowl, add nuts and toss to coat all nuts. The best way to do this is to lift and shake the bowl. Spread on a lined tray to dry.
- For Mint-dusted Nuts, combine ¼ cup each: powdered sugar and cornstarch. Add a few drops of peppermint essence.
- Add nuts to coat and proceed as above.
Description
A colorful and tasty twist to an old favorite.
Ingredients
Cream Filling
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 tablespoon Cointreau, plus more to taste (optional)
Assembly
- ½ cup Grand Marnier, Marsala, sweet wine or sherry
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1½ packets (10.5 ounces) Savoiardi Ladyfingers
- 2 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or seasonal fruit
- 1 cup nuts of choice (Try a different nut on each layer, such as roasted hazelnuts, sliced almonds, chopped macadamias, and pistachios.)
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 high-sided dish (or 9-inch rectangle) with parchment paper to make it easier to lift out.
- With electric mixer, beat egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar until pale, creamy and doubled in volume. Remove from bowl and scrape down sides.
- Whip ricotta and mascarpone with remaining sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the Cointreau and egg mixture and whisk until well combined. Don’t overmix or you’ll lose the volume.
- Place the juice and Grand Marnier in a shallow dish. Dip ladyfingers in mixture just enough to moisten. (Be careful not to keep them in too long or they will fall apart.) Lay close together on the bottom of the dish.
- Spoon half the mascarpone mixture over top, followed by a layer of fruit. Scatter half the nuts over top. Repeat layers, end with a scattering of nuts.
- If there is any liquid remaining, drizzle a little over the top. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Description
What a delicious way to start your morning, with a mix of blueberries and your favorite nuts.
Ingredients
- 4 cups self-rising flour (for plain flour, add 2 teaspoons baking powder per cup of flour)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 ounces butter, chilled
- ½ cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios (or nuts of choice)
- ½ cup blueberries (or seasonal fruit)
- 1¾ cup milk or buttermilk*
- 2 teaspoon milk, plus extra
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or brush with melted butter.
- Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.
- Dice butter into small pieces and add to flour. Rub butter lightly with fingertips through the flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (You can also use a food processor, pulsing until texture is reached.)
- Add nuts and blueberries and fold through, careful not to break up blueberries.
- Make a well in the center and pour in milk. Stir quickly and lightly with a knife until mixture forms a dough, then turn onto a floured board. Knead gently to a smooth dough.
- Press dough out to 1-inch thickness then cut into desired size (in triangles or circles) and transfer to prepared trays. Brush with extra milk and transfer to center of oven.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool slightly on wire racks.
- Serve warm, spread with jam and a spoon of yogurt (or, if feeling luxurious, double cream).
*Buttermilk adds an airy lightness and slight tang to the finished bread.
Variations
- Pumpkin puree with the classic spices added to the milk (use less milk), and pecans is a true American breakfast.
- Peaches and sliced almonds
- Add unsweetened cocoa to flour and roast hazelnuts
- Pears and walnuts
- Dried currants and cranberries with pistachios
- Mango and macadamias
- Go savory with fresh basil and pine nuts
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.
