Nuts For Christmas!

It's time to start playing catch up all my Christmas themed exploits from the kitchen. As promised, I'm taking a break from posting truffle recipes so I thought it would be a good idea to get some 'nibbles' posted at long last. I don't know about you but our Christmas is not complete without some mixed nuts ~ as in the shelled variety and not the odd bod type, although come to think of it there are a few of them circulating at the moment too ... I count myself in this category by the way, who else would spend the best part of the Sunday before Christmas, battling through sleet, snow and black ice (lots and lots of black ice!) on what we have now dubbed 'The Great Duck Hunt'. I finally managed to track down the essential, if not elusive, Christmas Day Lunch ingredient in shop number 5, four duck breasts with skin on. Of course I paid over the odds for them but by that point I didn't care how much they cost just so long as I had them!

But I'm getting off the beaten track, the duck is for Christmas Day not today! Back to the nuts ...

Spiced Christmas Nuts

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp dried crushed chillies

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp sugar

2 tsp olive oil

250g natural mixed nuts

1 tsp sea salt

Crush the cumin, coriander seeds and chillies using a pestle and mortar. Stir in the celery salt, pepper and sugar. Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the seed mix and heat for 1 min. Add the nuts and stir over a gentle heat for a couple of mins until they are coated in the spices and are starting to turn golden. Sprinkle with sea salt and leave to cool. If giving as gifts, pack into cellophane bags or small jars.

Makes 250g

Can't recall where this one came from.

The Spiced Nuts get made every year and is my personal fave. Hubby's Mum doesn't really care for spices all that much though so I make her these one's instead.

Caramelised Nuts

200g mixed nuts

140g icing sugar

3 tbsp grand marnier

Mix together all the ingredients in a pan and place over a moderate heat. Stir constantly, allowing the mix to caramelise and turn brown and making sure all the nuts are well coated.

Pour the nuts onto some greaseproof paper. Don't worry if they are stuck together, as they can be separated when cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 200g

I can tell you this is a Tana Ramsay recipe but where I got it from ... (Hmm, I'm starting to notice a theme developing!)

Of course I said that I make this for Mum-In-Law, in reality everyone else helps themselves to them as well so I'll have to make another batch once I manage to get some more icing sugar.

This year I thought I might try another recipe which caught my eye, it had all the kinds of spices and flavours in it to really appeal to Hubby.

Spiced Party Nuts

40g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne

350g mixed unsalted nuts

Preheat oven to 130C/fan 100C. Heat the butter and oil gently in a pan, until the butter melts. Then add the Worcestershire sauce, spices and 1 tsp salt.

Cook the mixture for 1 min, then add the mixed nuts and stir well using a wooden spoon to coat evenly. Tip the nuts onto a non stick lipped baking tray and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Put to one side to cool completely and store in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 month.

Makes 350g

Good Housekeeping - Dec 09 (woo hoo!)

These didn't quite have the kick I thought they would and Hubby prefers the first recipe when it comes to savoury and spicy. That said, we did demolish the whole lot while watching Twilight last night, I didn't even get the chance to take a photo of them once they came out of the oven. All in all they are defo worth a try but they aren't making it to this year's Christmas table for us.