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Mixed Cocktail Nuts

Source of Recipe

From "Food, Gift, Love" by Maggie Battista


Recipe Introduction

"You can't walk around Paris in the winter without inhaling the perfume from just-roasted chestnuts. They smell sweet and smoky and inspired my Mixed Cocktail Nuts recipe. The nutty blend is entirely up to you, but I highly recommend hazelnuts. Toasted and coated in butter, honey, herbs, and spices, hazelnuts have truly amazing flavor, especially when enjoyed with a glass of dry champagne. In fact, you could gift a row of these bags, all lined up in a container, with a bottle of bubbly or a six-pack of good beer."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 cups hazelnuts
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 2 tablespoons mild-flavored honey
â—¦ 3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary (about 4 small stems)
â—¦ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika
â—¦ 3 cups unsalted, shelled mixed nuts (Brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts)
â—¦ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven 10 minutes or until brown, remarkably fragrant, and the skins come off easily.

Carefully pour the hazelnuts into a clean kitchen towel. Wrap them up in the towel completely, and shake and rub the hazelnuts until the skins break free from the meat. Set the nuts aside and discard the skins.

In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter, honey, rosemary, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt until the honey is very runny. Stir a few times until well combined.

To the baking sheet, add the skinned hazelnuts, mixed nuts, and melted butter mixture. Toss until evenly and well coated. Roast 10 to 12 minutes until their fragrant aroma fills the air around you and they have dried slightly, though they will still look a bit shiny. Toss a few times while roasting.

Let the nuts cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to promote drying and to ensure that the nuts stay coated. Add salt, to taste, just before gifting or serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks, though they taste their crunchiest during the first 4 to 5 days, so gift them the same day you make them.


Makes about 5 cups



GIFT WRAP:

â—¦ Resealable, food-grade cellophane bags
â—¦ Washi tape
â—¦ Tin (optional)

Fill the bags with nuts and seal. Write the label on tape (if needed), cut tape to fit, and place on the bag. Stack several bags in tin, if using, to gift.