citrus and rosemary spiced nuts

one of my (surprisingly few) responsibilities for christmas dinner was spicing and roasting some nuts for everyone to much on while the finishing touches were put on the main show. i rather quickly selected this recipe for the somewhat surprising combination of flavors, and boy and i glad i did! they came out incredible - sweet heat balanced with the citrus and rosemary.  

adapted from www.foodnetwork.com 

ingredients: 

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups whole raw almonds 

1 3/4 cups whole raw cashews 

1/4 cup pur maple syrup 

1 tbsp light brown sugar 

1 tbsp + 1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice 

1 tsp ground chipotle powder (or more, if you really want a kick!) 

2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary 

2 tsp salt 

directions: 

cover baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. 

in a medium bowl, combine almonds and cashews with vegetable oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder. toss to coat the nuts evenly. add 1 tbsp of rosemary and 1 tsp of salt then toss again. 

spread the nuts in one layer on the baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring twice, until the nuts are golden brown. 

remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining rosemary and salt. set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. 

store in airtight container at room temperature. 

homemade nut butter cups

a simple and delicious gift! 

when i first saw a recipe for homemade nut butter cups on the peas and thank you blog (no longer active), i immediately wanted to create some in my own kitchen. i've been making them for the occasional treat, an easy way to impress guests or potluck goers, and nice small gifts ever since. the best part is, i never make them the same twice! 

these treats can be customized for your tastes, and i beg you to explore while making them! the following have been some of my absolute favorite combinations. dark chocolate with sunseed/pepita butter and a little cayenne dusted over the top. dark chocolate with almond butter, topped with slivered almonds and chopped dried tart cherries. dark chocolate with peanut butter and a little (rather dehydrated, so it wasn't too moist) finely grated ginger root dusted on top. i suppose the secret is out - i always choose dark chocolate! 

this recipe will make about 6 cups, but is simple to double, triple, or more! 

ingredients: 

1 cup chocolate chips (milk or dark, whatever you're in the mood for) 

1 tbsp coconut oil 

1/2 cup nut butter of your choice 

1/3 cup powdered sugar (optional) 

toppings such as nuts or dried fruit and/or spices to add a little extra flavor (see intro for ideas) 

directions: 

use a double boiler over medium heat to melt together chocolate and coconut oil. i do this by fitting a glass bowl into a heavy saucepan (just be sure the bowl isn't touching the bottom) and covering the bottom of the pan with about 2 inches of water. 

while chocolate is melting, stir together your nut butter and powdered sugar (if using) until smooth. while adding sweetness, the powdered sugar will thicken your nut butter for an easier-to-eat final product. 

then, you just need to construct the cups and let them chill! i like to set up a baking sheet with baking cups (the silicone ones work amazingly for this!), to work easily from one to the next.

Start by evenly dividing half of your melted chocolate mixture between the cups. next, spoon about a teaspoon of nut butter into the center of each. then cover with the remaining chocolate. sprinkle with chopped nuts, dried fruit, or spices while still fresh. 

place baking sheet into the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until solid. store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. 

apple and cardamom brown butter cakes

makes 10 small cakes

6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter
3 cardamom pods, cracked
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 cup (100 g) almond flour
1/2 cup (60 g) GF oat flour or brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs
1/3 cups (70 g) natural cane sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
2 lady apples, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook until milk solids are brown. The butter will boil for a few minutes before it starts to brown. Remove it from the heat once it starts to smell nutty. Set aside. Add the cardamom pods and vanilla seeds. Let steep for 10 minutes. Then remove the pods and pour into a clean bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine. Fold in the cooled browed butter.

Pour the batter (3/4 of the way up) into silicone baking cups (or in a muffin tin!). Top with a couple of thin slices of apple.

Bake the cakes for 18 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool and remove from molds.

These are awesome when they're still warm!