Maple Rosemary Walnuts

This is a savoury cocktail snack that is secretly so easy and so addictive it ought to be illegal. Whole walnuts caramelized in a dry pan with maple syrup, a few finely chopped sprigs of rosemary, some flaky salt caramelize in a dry pan in a about five minutes. Who knew that "tree blood," and some herbs would be so delicious? The walnuts taste woodsy, sweet, bitter and salty, and a little bit like Thanksgiving stuffing. Obviously you could skip the rosemary, but then you'd just have Maple Walnuts, which doesn't have quite the same ring.
This recipe is the time to use that fancy flaky sea-salt, it adds the right amount of salty addictiveness without dissolving, so you only need a liberal sprinkle once the walnuts come out of the pan. Spread them on a baking sheet and once they cool, you have a sweet savoury snack- food, that takes the edge of pre-dinner hunger pangs, adds bite to salads and tames the effects of D.I.Y. cocktail party drinks. That is if you can keep them around long enough.

Maple Rosemary Walnuts

2 cups walnut halves
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
pinch of kosher salt

In a small bowl, stir together maple syrup, rosemary, and a pinch of salt. Heat a dry skillet (I used nonstick) over medium-high heat. Add walnuts to the hot skillet and pour in maple syrup mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until maple syrup has caramelized, about 3 minutes (it will coat the walnuts and the pan will look almost dry). Spread walnuts out on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a bit more salt if desired. Let cool.

Walnut Soda Bread

For a really long time this recipe has been one of my baking standards. I make it quite often and keep slices of it in my freezer for lunches. This is not necessarily a traditional Irish soda bread because it is baked in a loaf pan, but what it has in common with the original is a dense texture, a crisp outer crust and the use of buttermilk and baking soda as leavening agents. The batter comes together in minutes thanks to its use of baking soda instead of yeast and it tastes hearty and wholesome because of the wholewheat flour. Raisins and walnuts add moisture and texture to this loaf. I like to serve soda bread with cheese as the hearty texture stands up to strong flavours, but it is also delicious for breakfast with butter and jam.

Walnut Soda Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup chopped walnut halves
• ¼ cup diced dried figs or raisins (optional)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups buttermilk

Directions

1. Grease 9 x 5 inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. In large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, walnuts, figs/raisins, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Make a well in centre; pour in buttermilk and stir to form sticky ball (you may need to add extra buttermilk). Scrape into prepared pan; pushing dough into corners.
4. With a sharp knife, cut shallow slit lengthwise through centre of loaf. Dust with 1 tbsp more all-purpose flour. Bake in centre of 400 degree F oven until golden and cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 55 minutes. Remove from pan; let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: wrap in plastic wrap and store for up to three days or wrap in heavy duty foil and freeze for up to one month)

Per slice: about 192 cal, 7 g protein, 6 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 29 g carb, 3 g fibre, 3 mg cholesterol, 408 mg sodium. % RDI: 10 % calcium, 12% iron, 1% vit C, 21% folate.

Time: about 1-1/2 hours.

From Canadian Living: Holiday Celebrations 2007

Walnut Brown Sugar Rugelach

Rugelach are really the quintessential Jewish holiday cookie. They show up at just about every Jewish holiday. I made these for Hanuka one year. They are a good basic version of the recipe. These are not too sweet, but they are certainly addictive. My hypothesis is that the addictiveness of baked goods directly corresponds to the amount of butter and cream cheese in the recipe. Both of those ingredients make these cute little rugelach tender and flaky. They are delicate enough for a fancy brunch, or just for a teatime treat, they are exactly like the kind found at Kosher bakeries.

Brown Sugar and Walnut Rugelach

Makes 32

Prep time: 25 minutes

Total time 55 minutes plus chilling

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon

1. In food processor, blend butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla until well combined. Add flour, and pulse just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least two hours and up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months (thaw before baking).
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In small bowl combine egg with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash.
3. Working with one disk at a time, roll dough on lightly floured surface into an 11 inch circle about ¼ inch thick. Brush circles with egg wash; sprinkle with ½ cup of the walnuts, ¼ cup of the brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon.
4. Using sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each circle into 16 equal triangles. Starting from the wide end, roll up each triangle of dough; place on baking sheets seam side down. Brush rolls with egg wash. Repeat with remaining dough and topping.
5. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Transfer rugelach to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted From: Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine, December 2007