Roasting cashews allows you to extract their intense natural aroma, makes them more crunchy and enhances this healthy and nutrient-rich food. To try a simple different flavor than usual, you can cook them in the hot oven (180 ° C) for about 12-15 minutes with salt and oil. You can also use honey, rosemary, or a sweet and spicy glaze to taste something new.
Ingrediants
Basic Recipe
For 500 g
- 500 g of whole cashews
- 10-15 ml of oil (olive, coconut or grapeseed)
- Salt to taste.
with Honey
For 500 g
- 500 g of whole cashews
- 30 ml of honey
- 20 ml of maple syrup
- 20 g of melted butter
- 5 g of salt
- 5 ml of vanilla
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 30 g of sugar
with Rosemary
For 500 g
- 500 g of whole cashews
- 30 g chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 g of cayenne pepper
- 10 g of brown sugar
- 15 g of salt
- 15 g of melted butter
Sweet and Spicy Cashews
For 500 g
- 500 g of whole cashews
- 60 ml heated honey
- 30 g of sugar
- 7 g of salt
- 5 g of chili powder
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Basic Recipe
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Take a large baking sheet but don't grease it; if you are concerned that the fruits may stick, you can line the surface with baking paper.
- If you are roasting a small amount, consider using a pan that you can shake often during cooking to distribute the oil.
- You can roast cashews plain or after greasing them. If you opt for the first option and want to add only salt, try sprinkling them with water and salt or a brine, then wait for them to dry before cooking them; in this way, the salt should adhere to the surface.
Step 2. Spread the fruits on the baking sheet
Try to form a single layer to ensure even cooking; if you have to make large batches, use several pans instead of piling the cashews into one.
Step 3. Consider adding oil
It is advisable to use a small amount of fat, but it is not mandatory. Sprinkle the fruits with 5-10 ml of oil, mix them and gently shake them on the pan to make sure they are all greasy.
- By roasting them with oil you can enhance their flavor and texture, but you also increase the fat content and greasiness of the final product. If you plan to use cashews to prepare baked goods (for example for cookies or cakes), don't add the oil and skip this step; if you plan to eat them as a snack or use them as a garnish, you can roast them in oil.
- Start with small doses; if necessary, you can add more oil later, after you have started roasting the fruit.
- You can use a nut oil, such as almond or walnut oil, or choose another healthy fat, such as grapeseed, olive, or coconut.
Step 4. Roast the cashews in the oven for five minutes by placing the pan on the center shelf
After this time, remove them from the appliance and mix them with a spoon or spatula to redistribute the oil and reduce the risk of burning them.
Step 5. Bake them again, stirring often, until done
Roast them at intervals of 3-5 minutes, stirring often; generally, these fruits are well toasted after 8-15 minutes.
- Once ready, they release an intense but pleasant aroma and have a much darker shade; if you cook them in oil, you may even hear some crackling.
- Remember that they burn quickly, so check and mix them frequently to reduce the risk.
Step 6. Add some more oil and salt
Remove the cashews from the oven and, if you wish, grease them with another 5-10 ml of oil, sprinkling them with salt (2-3 g) according to your personal taste.
- If you need to use them for baking, you can skip this step.
- Alternatively, you can incorporate other flavors. Cinnamon, sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and cloves go perfectly with the flavor of cashews.
- If you have soaked them with brine or salt water before cooking, you do not need to season them further; the salt contained in the liquid should be more than enough.
Step 7. Wait for them to cool before serving
Transfer them to a plate and wait 15 minutes for them to become cold before enjoying them; pouring them onto a cold surface prevents them from burning in contact with the pan.
Once cooled, you can eat them immediately or incorporate them into some recipe; you can also store them in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to two weeks
Method 2 of 4: with Honey
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with aluminum or parchment paper.
Since honey is a sticky substance, cashews are likely to stick to the pan if you don't coat it; To remedy this, you should use parchment paper or non-stick foil
Step 2. Combine the ingredients for the glaze
Mix the honey with the maple syrup and melted butter in a large bowl, then combine the salt, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth.
If you prefer a simpler recipe, stick to honey, butter, and cinnamon. Maple syrup, salt and vanilla enhance the flavor of the fruit, but they are not strictly necessary
Step 3. Pour the cashews into the honey glaze
Mix them and shake them using a large spoon or spatula to make sure they are all coated on a regular basis.
Once glazed, distribute them on the baking sheet forming a single layer
Step 4. Cook them for 6 minutes
Take them out of the oven and shake them again to redistribute the honey and promote even cooking.
Step 5. Roast them for another 6 minutes
Monitor them closely to make sure they don't burn; if they seem cooked ahead of time, take them out of the oven immediately.
Cooked cashews should release an intense nutty scent and have a deeper color, but they shouldn't be very dark or scorched
Step 6. Put them in a mixture of sugar and salt
Once cooked, transfer them to another large, clean bowl adding a mixture of salt and sugar to coat them as evenly as possible.
- If you prefer that they are just sweet without any salty notes, you can avoid adding salt and use only sugar.
- After having passed them in this mixture, wait for them to cool for 15 minutes.
Step 7. Enjoy your snack
You can eat it immediately or store it in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Method 3 of 4: with Rosemary
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Prepare a large baking sheet with raised edges.
There is no need to grease or line the pan for this method; however, if you are concerned that the cashews may stick to the surface, you can use baking paper or that non-stick foil; avoid oil or other fats as they can alter the final flavor and cooking process
Step 2. Distribute the fruits evenly to form a single layer on the pan
This little trick guarantees homogeneous cooking; do not accumulate them, otherwise they will roast irregularly.
Step 3. Bake them for 5 minutes
At the end of this period, remove them from the appliance and mix them to redistribute the heat.
Depending on the level of toasting you want to obtain, you can stop cooking at this stage or continue it for another 8-10 minutes; remember to remove the pan and mix the contents every 4 minutes. By roasting them for only 5 minutes, you can heat the cashews without changing their flavor or texture too much; if you cook them for a total of 12-15 minutes, you can get the classic crunchy snack
Step 4. Meanwhile, mix the seasonings
Combine the rosemary with cayenne pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl while the cashews roast; set the mixture aside for now.
If you don't like strong tastes, you can avoid using pepper
Step 5. Transfer the cooked cashews to the flavoring bowl
When they are roasted to the right point, take them out of the oven and pour them into the mixture of rosemary and butter until they are coated evenly.
Step 6. Wait for them to cool before serving
Let them get a little cold, for 10-15 minutes, shaking them occasionally to redistribute the flavored butter. Serve them immediately afterwards or store them in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to two weeks.
Remember that if you have decided to heat them for only 5 minutes instead of toasting them for 12 or 15, you can serve them immediately while they are still hot without waiting for them to cool
Method 4 of 4: Sweet and Spicy Cashews
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 160 ° C
Line a large baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Step 2. Mix the cayenne pepper with the honey
Pour them into a large bowl and work them carefully to obtain a homogeneous and sticky glaze.
- If the honey is too thick, you can heat it in the microwave for about 5 seconds to liquefy it a little; this little "trick" allows you to mix the two ingredients more easily.
- If you want to give a more interesting flavor to the preparation, you can also add maple syrup; make sure that the dose of the sweet ingredients does not exceed 60 ml, but set the proportions according to your personal taste.
Step 3. Add the cashews
Transfer them to the bowl, mix them to coat them evenly with honey and cayenne pepper and then spread them over the prepared pan.
Make sure they form a single layer on the baking tray, otherwise they cook irregularly: some may burn and others may remain raw
Step 4. Roast them in the oven for 5 minutes
After this period, remove them from the appliance and mix them with a spatula or spoon to redistribute the sweet / spicy mixture and ensure even cooking.
Step 5. Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes or until the cashews are ready
When they reach the correct degree of roasting, they release an intense pleasant scent and are darker.
Remember to mix them every 3-5 minutes throughout the process; if you ignore this step, you may burn or roast them irregularly
Step 6. Sprinkle them with sugar and salt
Take them out of the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before adding the two aromas, gently shaking the fruits.
It is worth mixing the sugar and salt in a small clean bowl before transferring them to the cashews, so that you get a homogeneous mixture
Step 7. Wait until they are completely cold before enjoying them
Let them reach room temperature before eating them or transfer them to an airtight container in which to store them. These fruits last up to a week stored in a place at room temperature.
