Festive spiced nuts

Photographer: Sara

After not writing a blog post for a while I want to say so much about 2015 it really all boils down to being content with the year I’ve had and excited for the year ahead.   Although I’ve been light on posts I’ve been involved behind the scenes in all things blog related.  With Kate now sitting next to me I find myself breaking away from ‘fridge analysis’ to discuss which blog recipe to contribute, which seasonal ingredient to highlight or what we just ate, what we are going to eat or what we want to eat .  My ideal day is being immersed in food and so looking back on 2015, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do this.

This Christmas I’m super-excited to be spending time with awesome people in my life.

Now a bit about my recipe. 

The cinnamon dough-nuts are traditional sugar and spice and all things nice.  They are seasoned with spices, a hint of smoke and sugar.  I’d happily munch on these with a whisky sour, curled up in front of the fire for a Northern hemisphere Xmas.  Recipe can be acredited to smittenkitchen.

And there’s the sweet and sour nuts which are spiked with tamarind, maple and chilli.  These would go down with a cold, refreshing ale whilst sitting on the deck, in the sun for a Southern hemisphere Xmas.  This recipe can be acredited to one from NY times.

Have a merry Christmas lovely blog readers.

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

For the cinnamon dough – nuts


5 cups mixed nuts: pecans, walnuts and almonds


1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
2 egg whites
1 tbsp water

For the sweet and sour nuts


5 cups mixed nuts – I used cashews, almonds and pistachios


100g butter
2 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp tamarind paste
1 cup coconut flakes
1/4 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
100g butter
3 tbsp runny honey

METHOD

For the cinnamon dough – nuts
1. Lightly roast the nuts in an oven preheated to 160ºC on Fan Bake. They will be roasted for an additional 20 minutes with the spices and egg whites so don’t over-roast them at this stage.
2. Combine the sugars with the spices.
3. Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Gradually add the water.
4. Fold the nuts through the egg whites and then turn out onto a large baking dish.
5. Sprinke over the sugar and spices and Bake for 20 minutes, turning regularly.

For the sweet and sour nuts
1. Preheat your oven to 160ºC on Fan Bake.
2. Melt the butter with the maple syrup and tamarind, chilli and garam masala.
3. Toss through the nuts and coconut flakes.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven, cool and then break up.