FOOD + DRINK
MAKE AHEAD CHRISTMAS TREATS CONT .
Spiced Christmas Nuts Recipe by www . spicepots . com
An easy and delicious recipe to spice up your nuts ! Great for nibbles at your Christmas party or pop them in a jar with a pretty label and give to friends and family as a lovely homemade food gift .
We ' ve used almonds , hazelnuts , cashews , walnuts but you can experiment with others too .
Ingredients :
• 400g nuts of your choice
• 120g white sugar ( you could try using maple syrup or honey instead )
• 60ml water
• 25g butter
• 1 / 2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 heaped teaspoons of Spice Pots Goan Blend ( or try with others )
Method :
1 . Heat the oven to 180 or 160 fan . Lightly oil a baking tray .
2 . Put the nuts into a bowl , then season with the Goan blend and salt .
3 . In a small pan , heat the butter , sugar and water until the butter has melted , then cook for about a minute . Pour this mixture over the nuts and stir well to coat .
4 . Spread out on the baking tray and put into the oven for 10 minutes . Then check , mix and spread into a single layer and bake for another 6 minutes . The nuts should be all sticky and lovely . Leave to cool .
For a delightful little homemade present , fill a pretty jar with these nuts , add a label and a ribbon , and hey presto , you have a thoughtful , tasty and inexpensive little food gift .
Cheese , California Walnut & Apricot Biscuits
Prep : 10 minutes plus chilling Cook : 15-20 minutes Makes : 16-18 biscuits
Ingredients :
• 125g plain flour
• 1 / 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 100g cold butter , diced
• 100g Manchego cheese , grated
• 25g dried apricots , finely chopped
• 50g California Walnuts , chopped + 25g for garnish
• 1 medium egg
Method :
1 . Preheat the oven to 180 ° C , gas mark 4 . Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment .
2 . Place the flour , paprika , a pinch of sea salt , and the butter in a food processor and blitz to give breadcrumbs . Add the cheese , apricots and walnuts and pulse to mix in evenly .
3 . Add the egg and mix until a rough dough is formed . Roll into a cylinder about 16cm in length , wrap in clingfilm and chill until firm .
4 . Cut the biscuit mix into 16-18 slices and place on the 2 trays . Roughly chop the remaining walnuts and sprinkle over the biscuits , pressing into the dough slightly . Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden round the edges , allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack .
5 . Can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days and are great served with a cheese board .
TOP TIP : Try using hot paprika for a little kick .
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