Candied Walnuts …and ‘Oh! Nuts’

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

Recently, one very sweet person approached me offering a wonderful chance to grab and taste a few products from a company called ‘Oh Nuts’.

So I grabbed them and tasted them and now I’m in heaven…

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

There were yummy Dried Mango Slices.

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

There were Dried Turkish Apricots.

Mmmm…

Me love apricots!

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

And then there were walnuts.

Immediately I knew that me and these walnuts could make really great friends.

In other words, I decided to make some candied walnuts.

Yay!

Have you ever tried that?

Well, you definitely should. It’s so much fun and the taste …mmm …that taste is just unbelievably scrumptious.

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

To prepare candied walnuts you need 1 1/2 cups (50 grams) walnuts, 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar and a pinch of salt.

It’s this simple.

 

1. First, toast the walnuts in the oven at 350 F (175 C) for about 5 minutes.

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

2. Then pour the sugar into a saucepan.

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

3. Stir the melting sugar with a wooden spoon. Try to break any lumps that would form.

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

4. Keep melting the sugar until it’s liquid and it has reached this beautiful amber color.

I always get amazed when this magic happens.

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

5. Then throw the nuts into the caramel.

Yes, that is caramel what we’ve got in the saucepan.

Isn’t that amazing?

 

6. Stir it all together quickly to cover all the nuts with the sugar mixture.

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

7. As soon as the walnuts are coated, spread them out on a baking sheet.

You can line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

7. Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other.

Try to work quickly at this stage since there’s only about 30 seconds until the caramel hardens.

candied walnuts recipe with step-by-step images

8. Sprinkle the nuts with salt and let cool completely.

 

Enjoy, dear friends …and visit ‘Oh Nuts’ to get your own delicious walnuts, apricots, mango or anything else that makes you happy. These nice people offer loads and loads of wonderful stuff!

See you soon.

Love,

Petra

Banana Bread

What comes to your mind when you think of banana bread?

To me it’s BEAUTIFUL.

And FRAGRANT.

And IRRESISTIBLE.

And a piece of sweet art.

The kind of food that makes me feel really good.

I missed this art in my life lately.

And that is unacceptable.

So I just created it…

~~~

To make wonderful Banana Bread you need:

1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 ripe large bananas, sliced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

~~~

1. Preheat an oven to 350 F (175 C).

2. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes.

They will become wonderfully tender and fragrant.

3. These are our dry ingredients.

Pour them into a larger bowl and mix them.

4. After you toasted the nuts chop them coarsely,…

… add them to the flour mixture,…

… and give it all a good mix.

5. These are our wet ingredients – the sliced bananas, lightly beaten eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.

6. Mash the bananas.

7. Add the eggs, the butter and the vanilla to the bowl.

Mix, mix, mix.

8. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined.

The batter should be thick and chunky (try not to over mix here – the bread could end up being tough and rubbery – and we don’t want that).

9. Butter and flour (or spray with a non-stick spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.

Fill it with the lovely batter.

10. And bake for about 55-60 minute (or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean).

Mmmmm, this smells wonderful…

Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove from the pan.

11. Enjoy dear friends…

… and remember that there are many more lovely posts for you to see here.

(This recipe was adapted from joyofbaking.com.)

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