Spiced Macadamia Nuts

These nuts are a just-right combo of spice and sweetness, and are perfect with a glass of something cold.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp hot chilli powder
  • ½ tsp sea salt flakes
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 150g/5½oz macadamia nuts
  • 1 tbsp clear honey

 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
  2. Whisk to combine the sunflower oil, lime juice and caster sugar together, whisking until the mixture looks pale.
  3. Keep whisking and add the garam masala, chilli powder, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Add the nuts to the spice mixture, stir in the honey and mix together until the nuts are evenly coated.
  5. Place the nuts in an even layer onto the lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for five minutes before turning them over and roasting for a further 8-10 minutes until they have a shiny, golden coating and are no longer sticky. Watch carefully towards the end of cooking to ensure the nuts do not burn.
  6. Leave the nuts on the tray to cool. They will continue to harden as they cool and can be served either warm or cold.
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Roasted Chicken with Goat Cheese-Macadamia Nut Crust and Parsley-Pimento Couscous

Ingredients

Cooking spray
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 140g each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup honey mustard
170g soft goat cheese
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup couscous
¼ cup diced pimentos
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 200° Celsius.

Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray

Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper and place in prepared pan. Brush mustard all over tops of chicken. Then spread with goat cheese. Place macadamia nuts in a plastic bag and smash with the flat side of a meat mallet or bottom of a heavy skillet until finely crushed. Sprinkle nuts over goat cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes, until cheese is golden brown and chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is baking, cook couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork, and stir in pimentos, parsley and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

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Rocket and Macadamia Pesto

Ingredients

2 bunches rocket, ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves
80g macadamia nuts
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
185ml olive oil
60g finely grated parmesan
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Process the rocket, basil, macadamias and garlic in the bowl of a food processor until finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream until well combined.

Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the parmesan and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with pasta like tagliatelle or penne and a delicious fresh sald – perfect for summer days!

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Warm Macadamia Nut Coconut Cake

Ingredients for the cake

½ cup sugar
½ butter, melted
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1 vanilla bean, scraped
¼ coconut syrup
½ buttermilk
1 & ½ cup flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ toasted ground macadamia nuts

Ingredients for the coconut glaze

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup coconut syrup
Whipped cream
Fresh fruit
Macadamia nuts, chopped
Toasted coconut

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine sugar and melted butter in a bowl and beat by hand until combined. Add eggs, vanilla, vanilla bean scrapings, coconut syrup and buttermilk. Continue beating until well mixed. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda in another bowl. Fold in macadamia nuts. Gently fold flour mixture into butter mixture and stir until combined. Prepare small individual bundt cake pans by spraying with vegetable cooking spray. Fill pans ¾ full and bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out slightly damp. Remove cakes from the oven and let them sit in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, then poke small holes into the cakes with a skewer. Pour Coconut Glaze over warm cakes. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh fruit, nuts and toasted coconut.

Coconut Glaze

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine all ingredients and cook down for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. Spoon hot glaze over cakes and serve warm.

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Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars

Crust

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted

Caramel and Chocolate

¾ cup unsalted butter
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 ½ cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate morsels

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. To prepare the crust, combine flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process about 10 seconds to combine thoroughly. Add butter and process until mixture is crumbly, about 30 seconds. Transfer crumbs to prepared pan and press firmly to make a compact layer. Scatter nuts evenly over crust and press them in firmly.

3. To prepare the caramel layer, melt butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar and stir well until thoroughly combined and smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until entire surface of caramel is bubbly. Immediately pour hot caramel over nuts and spread evenly with back of a metal spoon. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly.

4. Remove pan from oven. Wait 1 minute; sprinkle chocolate morsels evenly over caramel. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes for chocolate to melt. Spread chocolate evenly with spatula or back of a metal spoon. Cool completely, then refrigerate 30 minutes to set. Cut into bars with a sharp knife. Makes 36 bars.

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Pineapple Macadamia Nut Granola Bars

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
¾ cup dried pineapple, medium chopped
1 cup macadamia nuts, crushed
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Spread the oats and coconut out on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, stir, then bake an additional 5 minutes (watch the mixture as it toasts and stir an additional time if necessary to prevent burning).

Remove the toasted oats and coconut and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the dried pineapple and macadamia nuts to the bowl. Set the mixture aside.

Line a glass baking dish with wax paper, then coat the wax paper with a thin layer of cooking spray.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, honey / maple syrup, butter, pure vanilla extract and salt. Heat until ingredients are melted together.

Pour the hot liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly coated.

Press the mixture firmly into the baking dish.

Let the granola mixture dry and harden for 2 to 3 hours.

Remove the dried granola whole from the baking dish. Cut it in half length-wise, then cut each rectangular half into six bars.

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Macadamia Nut Soup

Ingredients

450g unsalted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 large leek, white part only, washed, sliced
1 brown onion, peeled, chopped
1L (4 cups) chicken stock
300ml thick cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
  2. Place 2 tablespoons of the nuts on a tray and roast until golden.
  3. Set aside. Place potatoes, leek, onion and stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heatto low and simmer for 20 minutes or until potato is soft.
  4. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Add the remaining macadamia nuts and blend in batches until smooth.
  5. Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled or hot, garnished with the roasted nuts and slices of toasted baguette.
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Macadamia Hot Milk Chocolate

Makes 1 – 2 cups

Ingredients

Macadamia nuts, handful
0.5 – 2 cups of water, adjust to consistency
1 – 2 dates, pitted
Cacao powder (unsweetened)
Optional: 1 teaspoon or so of a macadamia nut butter
Optional: 1 teaspoon of lecithin granules. This makes it more creamy (Lecithin is made from soy, eggs, sunflower or corn).

Directions

  1. Make a macadamia milk: in a blender add the macadamias and water and blend into a milky consistency.
  2. Add the dates and lecithin granules to the milk mixture and blend until smooth. Taste and add more dates to sweeten if required.
  3. Strain the milk through a sieve and discard the nut pulp.
  4. Add the milk to a saucepan and gently simmer until warm enough to your liking.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in the cacao powder and the nut butter. Serve and enjoy!
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White Chip & Macadamia Nut Coffee Cake

Ingredients

CRUMB TOPPING (recipe follows)
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1¼ cups milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup macadamia nut pieces
1 cup white chocolate pieces
WHITE DRIZZLE (recipe follows)

Directions

Heat oven to 180°C. Grease and flour 33 x 23 x 5 centimeters baking pan. Prepare CRUMB TOPPING and set aside.

Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Stir together flour, baking powder and cinnamon; beat into butter mixture. Gradually add milk, egg and vanilla, beating until thoroughly blended. Pour ½ batter into prepared pan; top with ½ CRUMB TOPPING. Gently spread remaining batter over topping. Sprinkle remaining topping over batter.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Prepare WHITE DRIZZLE; drizzle over cake. 12 to 16 servings.

CRUMB TOPPING

Combine 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 6 tablespoons firm butter or margarine, 1 cup white chocolate chips and ½ cup macadamia nuts in medium bowl. Mix until crumbly.

WHITE DRIZZLE

Beat together ¾ cup powdered sugar, 2 to 3 teaspoons milk, 1 teaspoon softened butter and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. If necessary, add additional milk ½ teaspoon at a time until of desired consistency.

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Banana Cranberry Macadamia Nut Bread

Ingredients

½ cup butter
2 ½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cup mashed bananas
4 cups sifted flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup minced macadamia nuts
2 ½ cup fresh cranberries
2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Heat oven to 180° Celsius. Cream butter, sugar and large eggs. Add in bananas, beat. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in to creamed mix and beat. Fold in nuts and carefully add in cranberries. Bake 65-70 min in 2 greased loaf pans.

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