Caramelized walnuts are often used to make salads or for a tasty snack. They also go well with cheeses with an intense flavor, such as brie; moreover it is possible to give them simply by putting them in a nice jar. You can cook them on the stove or in the oven and modify the recipe by replacing the white sugar with muscovado.
Ingrediants
Quick recipe
- 100 grams of shelled walnuts
- 50 grams of white sugar
- 15 grams of butter
Traditional recipe
- 100 grams of walnuts
- 30 milliliters of corn syrup light version
- 12 grams of sugar
- 3 grams of salt
- ½ gram of ground black pepper
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
Recipe with muscovado sugar
- 30 grams of butter
- 220 grams of walnuts
- 100 grams of muscovado sugar
- 4 grams of ground cinnamon
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Quick Recipe
Step 1. Heat a not too large non-stick pan over medium heat
This should take approximately 3-5 minutes.
Step 2. When the pan is hot, add 100 grams of shelled walnuts, 50 g of white sugar and 15 grams of butter
Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring often to ensure even cooking.
- Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the nuts coated in syrup.
- Stirring towards the end of cooking is especially important, because this is when nuts are most likely to burn.
- If you want, you can double the doses of the recipe.
Step 3. Remove the walnuts from the pan and separate them
Once they are evenly coated in the sugar and butter syrup, remove the pan from the heat. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to separate them well: if they touch each other during the cooling phase, they will stick together.
Quickly separate them with 2 spatulas or wooden spoons to prevent them from sticking together
Step 4. After spreading them on the pan, let them cool for about 10 minutes or until the outer coating has hardened, then place them in a bowl and serve them as a snack
If you don't plan on eating them right away, store them in an airtight container
Method 2 of 3: Traditional Oven Cooking
Step 1. Preheat the oven and grease a baking sheet
Set it to 180 ° C and let it warm up well. Grease a large baking sheet with butter or non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Make sure you know how the oven warns you that it has reached the desired temperature. Many models warn with a light or audible signal
Step 2. Mix the nuts and other ingredients in a bowl
Mix 100 grams of shelled walnuts, 30 ml of light corn syrup, 12 grams of granulated sugar, 3 grams of salt, ½ gram of ground black pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Stir evenly to make sure you coat all the nuts well.
If you don't have light corn syrup available, you can replace it with maple juice
Step 3. Coat the walnuts, spread them on a greased baking sheet and put them in the oven
Let them cook until they turn golden brown and the coating simmers. This should take about 15 minutes.
- The nuts may clump together, so use a spatula or wooden spoon to separate them as you spread them on the pan.
- Since the coating may swell as it heats, check the walnuts at regular intervals as they cook. Separate the clumped ones.
Step 4. Let them cool and place them in an airtight container
Once golden, remove the pan from the oven and let the walnuts cool completely. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Serve them in a bowl, or place them in an airtight container for storage.
Caramelized walnuts can be prepared up to 3 days in advance
Method 3 of 3: Prepare the Muscovado Sugar Caramelized Nuts
Step 1. Heat 30 grams of butter in a large skillet over medium heat
Let it dissolve completely - it should take about 3-5 minutes.
If you cut it before putting it to heat, it will melt sooner
Step 2. Once the butter is melted, mix 220 grams of shelled walnuts, 100 grams of muscovado sugar and 4 grams of ground cinnamon in the pan
Cook over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved: it should take about 3-4 minutes.
Stir constantly while you wait for the sugar to dissolve, so the mixture doesn't burn and the nuts don't stick
Step 3. Once the muscovado sugar has melted, remove the walnuts from the pan with a spatula or slotted spoon and place them on a silicone baking mat, letting them cool for an hour
They should cool completely and the coating harden.
- If you don't have a silicone mat, you can use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Store the caramelized nuts in an airtight container. They can last up to 2 weeks.
Advice
- Caramelized walnuts can be served on their own for a delicious snack, but you can also use them to garnish salads and ice cream.
- Caramelized walnuts are also a nice “do it yourself” gift idea, perfect for Christmas. Put them in a decorative plastic bag and close it with tape to make sure the package is airtight.
