Food Mamma

Food | Travel | Family | Life

nuts

macadamia nut shortbread

By 2 Comments

If there’s one thing that all four of us like to snack on, it would have to be nuts. We are nuts about nuts. We aren’t that picky about which ones – almonds, peanuts, pecans….any will do!

Naturally, when we were in Hawaii last week, we indulged in lots of macadamia nuts and of course, brought some home. We loved the little cookie shops filled with macadamia shortbread so it was on my list of things to make.

These cookies are buttery and nutty and made extra special with the ends dipped in chocolate. Perfect to nibble on while dreaming about palm trees and sandy beaches.

Macadamia Nut Shortbread

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

In a mixer, whip the butter. Add the sugar and vanilla until incorporated. Add the flour and nuts until the dough comes together. Place the dough in saran wrap, forming into a disk. Refrigerate until firm.

Roll out the dough and cut into rectangles (or whatever shape you want). Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

chocolate chip, coconut, pecan banana bread

By 4 Comments

I have a new helper in the kitchen. The little guy is always eager to see what’s cooking and to help out in any way possible. Z is 21 months and lately, when he thinks I’ll be doing something in the stand mixer, he pulls the chair to the counter, ready with measuring cups so that he can pour things in.

This morning we made banana bread, using up ripe bananas that we wanted to put to good use. We loaded up the batter with pecans, chocolate chips and coconut. The resulting bread was moist and full of character. We cut into it while it was still hot, it was too hard to resist!

Chocolate Chip, Coconut, Pecan Banana Bread

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Cream margarine and sugar together.  Once combined, add eggs and vanilla.  Next, mix in the dry ingredients – flour and baking soda.  Add the mashed bananas, sour cream along with the chocolate chips, pecans and coconut.

Add the batter to a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

candied pecans

By Leave a Comment

At our house, we are nuts for nuts. Like all kinds of nuts. One of my favourites though is pecans. I was looking for a way to perk up my salad and thought candied pecans would be perfect.

The coating is light and crispy and I loved the addition of the cinnamon and salt. They provided the perfect crunch that I needed for my salad but they were also great for snacking on. These are so good and very addictive. You have been warned.

Candied Pecans

1 cup pecan halves
1 egg white
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Beat the egg white until frothy. Add the pecans, cinnamon and salt and mix until coated. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.

slow cooker cinnamon almonds

By 2 Comments

The slow cooker is a wonderful thing. It makes the best tasting chili, tender ribs and the juiciest chicken. When I saw this recipe for cinnamon almonds made in the slow cooker, I was curious. Could it really be used to make sugar and cinnamon coated almonds and actually turn out well? Yes!

Unlike most recipes made in the slow cooker where you can just walk away until it’s done, this recipe requires a little extra attention, but not much. Cooked on high, these almonds are stirred every 20 minutes, to ensure that the nuts don’t get burnt.

These were delicious! They were super easy and super tasty. Put them in a little jar, and they make the perfect homemade gift for the holidays!

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Almonds 
From Crockpot 365

cooking spray
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups whole raw almonds  

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Spray the stoneware well with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set this bowl aside 

In a larger mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla extract. Pour the almonds into this bowl and stir well to coat. Add your cinnamon mixture to the top of the nuts and toss with spoons to fully coat. 

Put the almonds into the slow cooker and cover. Cook on high for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. After 2 hours, take the nuts out of the slow cooker and spread them on foil or parchment paper.

german chocolate cake

By Leave a Comment

It was my mom’s birthday on Tuesday. We had a fun day getting manicures and pedicures done. We didn’t manage to go for dinner until the next day because of all of Q’s extra curricular stuff but there was time for cake!

For mom’s cake, I wanted to try something new. Although I had never tasted German chocolate cake, it always seemed like something I would love. Nuts and coconut and chocolate – who wouldn’t?.

I had received a package of The Decadent chocolate cake mix from President’s Choice so I cheated with a mix. It was a delicious cheat and the cake turned out moist and delicious.

As for the filling/frosting, it was cooked on the stove and then cooled before using on the cake. It was sooo good! I was a struggle to not eat it by the spoonful as I frosted the cake. I won’t tell you if I won that battle or not. This is definitely one to make again and again.

Coconut Pecan Frosting/Filling for German Chocolate Cake
From KraftRecipes.com

4 egg yolks
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
7 oz flaked coconut
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add coconut and nuts; mix well. Cool to desired spreading consistency. 

pecan butter tarts

By 9 Comments

With Christmas just a few weeks away, I can’t help but to think of all the baking that’s in store. Butter tarts, while perfect for any occasion, are always more prevalent during this festive season.

A while back, there was a discussion about whether butter tarts should be filled with raisins and nuts or not. My favourite kind of tarts are filled with raisins and pecans.

The raisins have to be the dark plump variety. The yellow Sultana ones don’t have a place in these tarts. The filling is ooey gooey and and the pecans add the perfect contrast. I do cheat and use store bought unbaked tart shells. With this shortcut, these tarts are ready in less than 30 minutes! Makes it a little too easy to satisfy a craving.

Pecan Butter Tarts

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
2 TB milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dark raisins
3/4 cup pecans
12 – 15 unbaked tart shells

Combine the butter, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla until well combined. Add the raisins and pecans and mix well. Fill the tart shells with the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the shells are golden. Enjoy!

hazelnut nutella cookies

By 12 Comments

Q was home sick for a few days last week. It seems like something nasty is definitely making its rounds.  While most of his time involved naps and movies on the couch, we also managed to squeeze in some cookie making. I love chatting with Q while we are busy making something delicious. You can learn a lot from a six year old in the kitchen while they are distracted with stirring and measuring.

I had noticed a bag of hazelnuts sitting in the pantry just waiting for something tasty. I decided that these roasted would be perfect with some chocolate chips in cookie form. We decided a swirl of Nutella would be nice too.

We roasted the hazelnuts in a 350 degree oven just until we could smell the oils. I got a little distracted though, and almost burnt the lot! The nuts that we were using had skins on them so I dumped them into a tea towel and rolled them around until they were peeled. I chopped the nuts while Q measured out the sugar and flour. Once the batter was done, we took a big spoonful of Nutella and did a rough mix so that it was swirled through.

The cookies turned out amazing! The nuts and chocolate made them chunky but the cookies were soft and chewy.  They were a great afternoon snack with a cold glass of milk.  The toasted nuts added a great crunch and flavour. Even hubby, who normally stays away from the sweet stuff, enjoyed a few!

Hazelnut Nutella Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
1 TB Nutella, heaping

Cream the butter and the sugars. Add the egg and vanilla. In the center of the mixture, add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix until incorporated. Roughly mix in the Nutella. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes approximately 2 dozen.

maple cinnamon granola

By Leave a Comment

On the search for a healthy snack, I thought granola would be the perfect thing.  With all the nuts and seeds, I figured it would be yummy to munch on, while providing energy for us and the little guy throughout the day.  When searching for recipes, however, I realized that many were full of large quantities of oil.

I was excited when I found Ellie Krieger’s Nutty Granola recipe because it had no oil!  Just some good old maple syrup and some cinnamon were used to create this delicious snack.  I added some seeds and coconut to the mix and was able to put it in the oven in minutes.  Q loved the granola and happily picked through it naming all the nuts and seeds.  A fun protein-packed snack for a toddler (and his mamma).

Maple Cinnamon Granola
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, nuts, seeds, raisins with the maple syrup, salt and cinnamon. Spread the mixture onto a greased baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

cocoa spiced pecans

By Leave a Comment

These nuts just came out of the oven and I can’t stop eating them!  Not sure there will be any left by the time hubby gets home.  I wanted a snack but was craving so many things – chocolate, sweet, salty – I just couldn’t decide what I felt like.  I remembered a bag of pecans I had sitting in the pantry and figured it would be the perfect vehicle for all these flavours.  This didn’t take long to make and the baked nuts made the house smell delicious.  I figured I would post this right away so I don’t forget what I added.  Next time I’ll definitely be making a bigger batch, I just can’t stop eating them. Enjoy!

Cocoa Spiced Pecans

1 cup pecans
1 TB butter, melted
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake just until you smell the pecans.  Combine all the other ingredients and toss with the baked nuts.  Place the nuts back on the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.  Let the pecans cool for a few minutes before you devour them.

rosemary spiced nuts

By 1 Comment

In a recent episode of Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate“, snacks craved by food personalities were featured.  Giada’s favorite snack were the bar nuts at Union Square Cafe in New York.  The hot nuts featured on the show looked so delicious, I started searching for the recipe.  Luckily, Nigella Lawson featured the nuts in her show Nigella Bites a couple of years ago, and the recipe was easily accessible.  Instead of using a mix of nuts, I used one of my faves, almonds.  The scent of these nuts mixed with the rosemary and spices filled the house and we couldn’t wait for them to be cooled before devouring them.  This delicious snack appeals to all as it satisfies any craving – salty, sweet, spicy, savoury.  My only advice is that you make lots!

Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts

2 1/4 cups nuts
2 TB coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 TB butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter.

Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm.