My favorite spiced nuts are made from Nigella Lawson's recipe, which was inspired by the Union Square Cafe in NY.

The Union Square Cafe's Bar Nuts

2-1/4 cups assorted unsalted nuts
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Maldon or other sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven til they become 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.

Source: Nigella Bites, copyright 2002

Lori

Well, you could always send some to me! I'm as nutty a person as they come. Remember that walnuts and pecans can be interchanged in most recipes. You can add nuts to any basuic biscuit (cookie) recipe (or simply press one on top of a plain biscuit), or crush them and toss over a salad, or toss into a stirfry or fried rice, and sprinkle over ice cream. Or crush them and sprinkle over your morning muesli, or crush them and use to coat chicken or meat before frying. Crush them and add to your cobbler topping.

Nut Butter
Shell 2 handfuls of nuts (any kind, or a combination), put through a blender with 1 cup cold water, adding more water if needed to make a thick, creamy consistency. Excellent as a spread of rye bread or fruit and cinnamon bread. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Chocolate Hazelnut Slice
125g dark chocolate, melted
4 egg whites
1/4 cup castor sugar
1 cup packaged ground hazelnuts
2 tablespoons plain flour

Line base and sides of a 20x30cm lamington tin with foil. Spread chocolate over the foil on base, refrigerate about 10 minutes. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, gradually add sugar, beating until dissolved between additions. Gently fold in nuts and flour- spread over chocolate base. Bake in moderate oven about 20 minutes or until firm, cool about 20 minutes. Spread with topping, bake further 15 minutes- cool in pan. Refrigerate several hours or until firm before cutting.

Topping:
200g dark chocolate, chopped
125g butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, optional

Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water; cool 10 minutes. Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add liqueur and chocolate, beat until just combined, gradually add sugar.

Chicken with Hazelnuts
1 chicken breast, halved
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
1/3 cup softened butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a large frypan, heat oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust evenly with flour on both sides. Place chicken, skin side down, into the hot oil. Sear until golden brown and turn. Sear for 1 minute and add the stock, and let reduce. In a food processor, puree hazelnuts until finely ground, then add the butter and process until incorporated and smooth. Remove the puree and add to the frypan, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, add sour cream, and adjust the seasonings. Remove the chicken and place on a serving platter, top with the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Candied Almonds
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups almonds

Combine all ingredients in frypan. Cook on medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, and sugar will granulate again. Continue stirring until it begins to melt. Pour onto a greased baking tray or waxed paper, cool.

Sugar-free Date and Nut Loaf
1 cup chopped dates
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup chopped almonds or walnuts or pecans
2 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, well beaten

Combine dates, bicarbonate of soda, butter and boiling water. Beat and mix in remaining ingredients. Turn into a greased loaf tin and bake in a moderate oven. Slice and serve with butter.

Hazelnut and Dried Tomato Pesto
2 cups dried tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/4 cups olive oil
1/2 cup romano cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup hazelnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Blend tomatoes, garlic and olive oil in food processor until smooth. Add hazelnuts and cheese. Process to the consistency you prefer, smooth or slightly chunky. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Great on pasta, vegetables, rice, potatoes, seafood, etc

Pecan-Coated Salmon
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
4 salmon fillets or steaks, thawed if necessary
salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedges

Mix together mustard, butter and honey. Mix together bread crumbs, pecans and parsley. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking tray. Brush with mustard mixture. Press a little of the breadcrumb mixture on top. Bake at 200C for 10 minutes per 1.5cm of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until salmon just flakes when tested with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pecan Jam
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
60g margarine
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Heat all ingredients together until sugar has melted and turns pale brown. Cool and bottle.

Sweet Potato and Nut Pie
1 shortcrust pastry flan
225g sweet potato, boiled and mashed
110g butter
150g brown sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
14 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
110g whole pecans or halved walnuts
50ml dark rum, brandy or whisky

Heat oven to 190C. Cream butter and sugar, add potatoes. Beat egg yolks and milk together. Add spices and half the nuts, roughly chopped. Beat in spirits. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, gently fold into the mixture. Pour into pastry flan. Press remaining nuts around edge of pie. Bake about 40 minutes until pie has risen and is golden on top. Serve warm or hot with whipped cream.

Baklava
4 cups chopped pistachio nuts and/or medium walnut pieces
1/4 cup sugar
500g commercial phyllo pastry
2 cups melted butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch ground cloves

Combine nuts, sugar, cloves, cinnamon. Preheat oven to 180C. Butter baking sheet well. Brush 5 sheets of phyllo pastry with melted butter. Place them on top of one another in pan. On top of the fifth layer spread a thick layer of nut mixture. On top of that, place 2 sheets of phyllo, each spread with melted butter. Using remaining phyllo sheets, spread a thin layer of nut mixture on each, reserving 3 plain sheets of pastry for topping, each one layered with melted butter. Liberally brush whole top with melted butter. With a sharp knife, cut the pastry into diamond shaped pieces prior to baking. Bake 45-60 minutes until golden.

Syrup:
In a saucepan, boil 2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water until they begin to thicken and form a thread. Add 1/2 cup honey and boil. Cook over medium heat 20-25 minutes thick and syrupy. Add 2 tablespoons rose water or orange blossom water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Skim foam off syrup and allow to cool. While pastry is still hot, pour syrup over it.

Chicken Pistachio
2 cups chopped pistachios
1 egg beaten with 60ml milk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour

Dredge 1 side of chicken in flour; shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture. Press into pistachio nuts. Sautin butter for 2 minutes nut side down. Turn and cook for 3 or 4 minutes or until done.

Pistachio Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1 cup whole milk, chilled
1 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 drop green food colouring (optional)

Place ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine until well blended. Pour into freezer bowl, turn the machine on and let mix until mixture thickens, about 20-25 minutes. If desired, transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer until firm, about 2 hours.

Walnut Cake
2 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar
250g tin crushed pineapple, undrained
2 eggs
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups crushed walnuts (reserve 1/2 cup for top)

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix all ingredients except the nuts together. Add 1 1/2 cups of nuts. Grease and flour a loaf tin and pour batter in, bake for 45 minutes. Allow cake to cool at least 20 minutes and remove from pan.

Icing
2 cups icing sugar
125g butter
250g cream cheese
reserved 1/2 cup walnuts

Beat all ingredients except nuts together until very creamy. Spread over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Beans with Pine Nuts
Slice beans as desired, or leave whole. Saute in a frypan with a little butter until tender, and sprinkle with pine-nuts.

Cardamom Pine Nut Scones
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons ground cardamom (or to taste)
1/4 cup pine nuts, ground
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2-1 cup cream as needed

Combine dry dry ingredients. Add the pine nuts and the butter and cut into the flour mixture. Stir in the eggs and add just enough cream to make a stiff dough. Put the dough on a floured board and pat it out into a circle about 3mm thick. Cut into wedges and place wedges on a baking tray at least 2cm apart. Bake at 200C for 15 minutes or until nicely browned. Sprinkle with additional cardamom and serve with plum jam.

Lamb With Spinach and Pine Nuts
1.5kg boneless lamb
1/3 cup olive oil
350g onions, diced large
4 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 cup beef stock
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and drained
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
salt to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts, roasted

Sear lamb in the olive oil, add the onions, saute for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and saute it for 1 minute. Add in the turmeric, nutmeg, cardamom, chilli powder and cinnamon and saute the mixture for 1-2 minutes more, being careful not to burn the onions or garlic. Add tomatoes and stock and stir. Cover the dish and bake at 180C for about 1 hour, until the meat is tender and begins to break up. Remove the dish from the oven and add the spinach, stirring until the spinach is wilted and blended in. Allow the stew to cool slightly. Add the yoghurt, lemon peel and salt to taste. Sprinkle with roasted pine nuts. Serve with rice.

Beans with Pine Nuts
Slice beans as desired, or leave whole. Saute in a frypan with a little butter until tender, and sprinkle with pine-nuts.

Lemon Tart with Walnut Crust

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
12 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups flour

For the Filling:
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 or 3 lemons)
1/2 cup heavy cream

FOR THE CRUST: In a food processor, grind the walnuts to a fine grind. You should have about 1/2 cup. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg; mix to combine. Lower the speed to slow and add the flour, mixing until barely combined. Add the walnuts and continue mixing, scraping the sides of the bowl, until the dough comes together. Divide the dough. Wrap the half you'll be using in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Wrap the other half well in plastic and then in foil and freeze for future use.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 1/2-inch tart pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a round about 1/8 inch thick. Arrange it in the pan, trimming to fit. Line the crust with foil or kitchen parchment and weight with beans or pie weights. Bake until the edge is light golden brown, about 20 min. Carefully remove the beans and foil and bake until the bottom is dry and light brown, about another 5 min. Cool to room temperature.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar and whisk until just combined. Add the lemon juice and cream and whisk until just combined. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer and pour into the prepared pie crust.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake the tart until the filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool at room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chilled
from Fine Cooking Magazine

NOTES : A light and bright lemon tart ends the meal on a perfect note. A crust made with ground walnuts and a silky smooth, tangy filling make every mouthful of tart deliciously interesting. The recipe yields enough dough to make two crusts. You can freeze the extra raw dough, well wrapped, for up to two months.

-----------------------------
Vanilla Pecans

1 (4-inch) vanilla bean
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 quarts water
1 pound pecan halves
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil(grapeseed or canola)

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

For the seasoning mixture: Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into a small bowl. Add the salt, cayenne, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, stirring to combine. Set aside until needed.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the pecans and boil for 1 minute. Drain the nuts well; immediately place them in a bowl and toss with the sugar and oil. Let the sugar-coated nuts stand for 10 minutes.

Arrange the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes until the nuts are light brown and very crisp. Remove from the oven.

While the pecans are still very hot, place them in a clean bowl and toss with the seasoning mixture. Spread in a single layer to cool.

Serving Suggestion: These nuts are delicious served by themselves as a snack or served over ice cream with caramel sauce. Wonderful for gift-giving!

Make It Ahead: The pecans may be prepared up to one week in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Variation: Substitute walnut halves for the pecans.
You can also use 1 teaspoon extract in place of the bean. Add it to the sugar and oil.

BLEU CHEESE WAFERS (about 7 dozen)
6 oz sharp grated Cheddar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz bleu cheese, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
2 3/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor. Add flour & process until dough is smooth. Add pecans. Shape dough into 2 logs & wrap in wax paper; refrigerate overnight. Slice into 1/4" thick slices & place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray (or use a Silpat.) Bake in a preheated 375° oveb for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.~~From Food For Thought

SPICED PECANS (4 cups)
1 egg white, slightly beaten
2 TBL cold water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 250° (low oven.) Coat 2 baking sheets lightly with Pam. Combine the egg white, water, sugar & seasoniongs, mixing well. Set aside 15 minutes. Add the pecans & mix. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 1 hour. Immediately loosen the pecans from the sheets with a spatula. Store in an airtight container.~~Atlanta Cooknotes

Daisyduckworth, do you (or anyone else) know of a good conversion chart for recipes? Some of your offerings look really good to me and I would like to try them.

I will give the Bar Nuts recipe a shot. Maybe it will work out, and if not, then so what, I will throw them out like the others I've destroyed.

The walnut crust lemon recipe sounds wonderful! I bet it would be decadent with chocolate filing and pecans too.

I remember years and years ago friends of my parents had us over for dinner. At the time I thought what she fixed was about as gross as it came, but now wish I knew the recipe. I have no idea where this family is, and I can't even remember their name.

Her recipe was with chicken parts, wild rice, and a can or two of mixed nuts in it. I picked at it because of it's color and it being too healthy for the teenager's taste buds I had back then, but always wanted to try it myself when I "grew up". They were a big Mormon family if that is any help to anyone. Maybe it is a Mormon recipe?? If it sounds familiar, please share it.

Thanks for all the great recipes and tips!

Ginger, do you think those wafers could be wrapped and frozen unbaked like I do with refrigerator cookies?

I recently posted this on another thread here or in the Cooking Forum but don't remember exactly where so I'll repost it. These are a good way to use up the chicken after making stock.

LINCOLN LOGS

1 1/ 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, finely diced
1 cup dry bread crumbs, divided
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped and lightly toasted
1/ 4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/ 4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs. finely minced fresh parsley
1/ 4 1/ 2 tsp.salt
dash of pepper
1/ 4 tsp. paprika
1 cup white sauce (recipe below)
Cooking oil

Mix chicken or turkey, 1/3 cup bread crumbs, walnuts, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and paprika. Moisten with 1/3 cup of sauce. Form mixture into 12 logs, each 3 inches long. Roll in remaining bread crumbs and fry in oil. Drain and serve with remaining sauce or leftover gravy. Notes: If you have trouble shaping the logs, chill mixture first. White sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, as can the entire logs before frying, storing covered. Sauteed mushrooms can be added to the sauce to be served with the logs. Fresh or dried herbs can also be added in place of some of the parsley; tarragon is especially good.

White sauce:
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. flour
1/ 4 tsp. salt
dash pepper
dash paprika
1/ 2 cup chicken broth
1/ 2 cup half-and-half

In medium saucepan, over low heat, melt butter; stir in flour and seasonings until smooth. Gradually stir in broth and half-and-half ; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Makes 1 cup

They should freeze well, Ruthanna. I'd freeze them unbaked.

There are many conversions sites in Internet-Land, but I don't like any of them, really. When converting, what is forgotten on such sites is that measurements are ROUNDED. If you do the maths, you'll end up with hopeless measurements like 2.1234oz or something, and nobody EVER uses measurements like that in cooking!

The following comes from table that the Australian government issued to every household way back in 1966 when we 'went metric'. I grew up on Imperial measurements, then had to learn Metric, and it took a good 10 minutes to make the adjustment! The following conversions have worked very well all those years for millions of Australians. I've included 'odd' measurements (like 7oz) although they are rarely used.

Make it easy on yourself. Don't worry about cup or spoon measures. Use your normal cup measure, and your normal spoon measure. Even the difference between Imperial and American tablespoons doesn't matter a great deal (well, it might if you're measuring chilli powder!). I regard measurements in cooking as a guide only.

Just remember the basics: 30g, 60g, 90g, 125g, 250g, 500g. And use your American pint measure, and maybe add a dash more if you think it's needed. You don't need to be more accurate than that.

5ml/5g = 1 teaspoon/0.2fl.oz
15g = 1/2oz = 15ml = 0.5fl.oz = 1 US tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
20ml = 1 Imperial tablespoon = 4 teaspoons
30g = 1oz
60g = 2oz = 1/4 cup
90g = 3oz = 1/3 cup
125g = 4oz = 1/2 cup
155g = 5oz (5 fl.oz = 1 gill)
185g = 6oz
220g = 7oz = 5fl.oz
250g = 8oz = 1 cup
280g = 9oz
315g = 10oz = 1 1/4 cups
345g = 11 oz
375g = 12 oz = 1 1/2 cups
410g = 13 oz
440g = 14 oz = 1 3/4 cups
450ml = 1 US Pint
500g = 150z = 1lb = 2 cups
600ml = 1 Imperial pint = 20 fl.oz
750g = 24oz = 1 1/2 lb
1kg = 1000g = 32oz = 2lb = 1 litre = 2 Imperial pints
3.8 litres = 1 US gallon
4.5 litres = 1 Imperial gallon

32 degrees F 0 degrees C
50F 65C
175F 80C
200F 95C
212F 100C
225F 110C
250F 120C
275F 135C
300F 150C
325F 165C
350F 180C
375F 190C
400F 200C
425F 220C
450 230C
475 245C

I cut and pasted this into Word, increased the size and made the font Arial, and printed it off, stuck the sheets in plastic sheet covers, and they are already in my kitchen for USE!

I am thrilled to have this chart!! I am making some of these for my family and a few friends.

What a wonderful gift to get from you!!! And, the great recipes too! LOVE IT ! Thanks for all your contributinos!!!

Potpie, here's my favorite Conversion website. Just choose what type of measurement you want converted. I use this site quite a bit - it's very user-friendly!

Lori

Here is a very good candied nut type recipe I got from Linda Lou on the Harvest Forum. She made about a million batches for her daughter's wedding, using walnuts that she harvested from her own tree. I know Ginger really likes the addition of whipped cream, does sour cream count? (grin)

Sour Cream Walnuts
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups walnuts
Cook and stir sugars and sour cream to soft ball stage (240 degrees F on candy thermometer). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add walnuts stirring gently till coated. Spread on greased pan to cool.

This salad recipe came from a Chef's newsletter I receive daily. Although I dislike bleu (or blue!) cheese, I love this salad without it.

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Spiced Candied Pecans and Raspberry Vinaigrette

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
6 ounces fresh spring mix salad blend
Raspberry Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 ripe pears, sliced
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3/4 cup Candied Pecans (recipe follows)
Preparation:

In a large bowl, toss together the spring mix and the Raspberry Vinaigrette. Dress the top of the salad with the sliced pear, blue cheese and candied pecans. Serve at once.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup canola oil
Preparation:

Blend the vinegar and the jam in a covered blender for 10 to 15 seconds, then add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator if not using right away.

Spiced Candied Pecans

Ingredients:
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
pinch cayenne
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cups pecan halves
cooking spray
Preparation:

Mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, pepper and cayenne together in bowl.

Melt the butter in small skillet over medium heat and add the sugar mixture and pecans. Stir constantly, until the sugar has melted and nuts are coated.

Cool on a piece of aluminum foil lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Finally, one of my favorite cookies:

SHORTBREAD WITH PECANS AND BROWN SUGAR

1 c all purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 c finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 300°. Mix all ingredients with hands until it resembles coarse meal. Pat into an ungreased 9" square pan. Pierce with fork every 2"

Bake 40 minutes or til light brown. Cut into squares while still warm.

My apologies to the poster of the cookie recipe, I know I got it from one of the forums but it was while I was still a "beginner" and didn't have the good sense to note the origin of the recipe.

Annie