My dream is to have Christmas somewhere cold, in a warm house with an open fire and the scent of cinnamon and pine in the air. Alas my Christmasses are always spent with the pumping noise of an overworked air-conditioner in the background, while we try to stay cool with glasses of sparkling wine (not whinging about that last bit 🙂 ). The only thing about my dream Christmas I can control is the cinnamon, so I tend to go into overdrive this time of year making as many spicy cinnamon dishes as I can.
I have always loved spicy candied nuts. There is something about the combination of spicy, sweet, savoury and nuttiness that makes them so dangerously morish (There is actually an Aussie nut company called Morish). This nut recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen. I originally published it on my lifestyle blog for The Sweet Swap but immediately thought how perfect it would be for Christmas gifts or even just nibbles on Christmas day.
Home made christmas gifts are the best. When I had more time I used to make up pots of jam or attempt to make fudge, even though candy-thermometers and I do not get on. There is something so much more rewarding about giving a gift you have put your time and love into. These spiced almonds are fairly fool-proof and take all of forty minutes to knock up including the baking time ( and no candy thermometers!).
The candied nut recipe has been adapted from the amazing Smitten Kitchen. Deb used cayenne pepper in her version but I love the milder heat and smokiness of smoked paprika.
You can use any nut you like. The secret is to make sure that you dry out your candied nuts perfectly so that they store well. From there it is up to you: pop the nuts into little jars tied up with ribbons as they are, dip each nut into your favourite chocolate or make up great big slabs of spicy, nutty, crunchable goodness. For me, the combination of smoky, sweet, spicy, salty nuts and good bittersweet dark chocolate is unbeatable.
But wait, there’s more! To celebrate the release of this new blog I have a Christmas giveaway running across both my blogs. The prize is a giftpack of some of my favourite things from local artists. First price includes:
A signed copy of $120 Food Challenge
Lollipop jar necklace from Saturday Lollipop
‘Backstroke Maiden’ print from One Two Carabou
Champagne & Strawberries candle from Shadow Moon Creations
Set of 4 crocheted watermelon coasters from Wild About Melbourne
There is a complete write up on the artists over at Seeking Victory.
To enter all you have to do is follow me on any two social media accounts including:
Facebook – Champagne and Chips
And tell me in the comments – what is your favourite Christmas treat? Be creative, my favourite answer will win the prize 🙂 You are welcome to enter on either blog.
This giveaway is now closed
- 200g/ 6-7 oz nuts
- 3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup caster sugar (I use raw caster sugar)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (crushed or flakes)
- 1/8 tsp (pinch) smoked paprika
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tbsp water
- 400g/ 13 oz good quality chocolate (milk, dark or white)
- Preheat oven to 150C/300F
- Mix sugars and spices together in a large flat bowl
- Whisk egg white and water together until frothy
- Add nuts to egg white mixture and coat well.
- Using a slotted spoon (or your fingers) carefully transfer half the nuts to the sugar mixture and coat well. Repeat with the remaining nuts.
- Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the nuts from the centre to the edges halfway through.
- Line a second tray with baking paper and transfer the nuts to the clean paper. Turn off oven and leave tray in oven another 10 minutes to dry the sugar coating.
- Allow to cool completely, separating the nuts as they cool.
- Gently melt chocolate using a double boiler or microwave.
- Lay out cooled nuts on a lined tray and drizzle with chocolate.
- Allow chocolate to set before breaking up into large crunchable chunks.
- Be careful to drain the egg white mixture off the nuts before sugar coating otherwise the mixture ends up very wet and sticky. If this happens, fret not, just make sure you transfer the nuts to the clean lined tray at the end of cooking and allow the sugar coating to dry in the warmth of the oven.
My favourite Christmas treat are luxuriously packaged premium chocolates..it always brings out the child in me.
Oh yes Dhanya, that’s a good one. Have you discovered the chocolate store “Ganache” yet? I think you will love it
Hey,
thanks for linking up to December Links Party on TLV Birdie Blog! I am really glad to have you around and to create the magical winter mood together!:)
Oly / TLV Birdie Blog
http://www.tlvbirdie.com
My pleasure. Such a lovely idea 🙂
Cool recipe! I am so into homemade baking as gifts this year!!!
Thank you 🙂 Cheap and thoughtful 😉
These look yum! My favourite Christmas treat is Rocky Road. I love it because it’s got that chocolate base and is full of my favourite combos of nuts, sweets and all kinds of candy! It’s so naughty, but so nice! Christmas is the one time of year that I give myself permission to indulge in such decadence!
Oh yes! I LOVE rocky road. Especially homemade stuff where you can just put your favourite sweeties in. I also like to make customised versions as gifts.
Yum!!! Paprika is a brilliant idea for spiced nuts. I’m the same as you and love giving homemade gifts. In fact I need to make some stuff today for gifts tomorrow!! Argh!! Thanks so much for linking up with our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party! xx
I just adore paprika. Especially the smoked stuff 🙂
Homemade gifts really are the best. I’m a big fan of cinnamon too, I like to make cinnamon and cranberry muffins – yum!
Ooooh, I need to experiment more with cranberries I think- they sound delightful, tangy and spicy. Yum
My mum makes these and gives away – they are divine, but quite costly as she uses macadamia nuts!
Maybe just for special people then 🙂 Macadamias would be amazing like this.
my favourite treat is the mince tarts, homemade just the way grandma used to make them, a forgotten art, made with tradi
tional mince fruits , filo pastry and not short crust, served with a sprinkle of icing sugar and dollop of thick cream. yum. brings back memories just thinking about it:)
These sound amazing Liz. Do you have a recipe? I have only ever had the shortcrust variety and find them a bit too rich and buttery.
Affordable fresh Mangoes, you can’t get them any other time of year and they are amazing! Simple yet so memorable and tied to Christmas for me 🙂
Definitely. I often feel a bit disappointed that we miss out on all the wintery Christmas things in Australia but when you think about all the great things that are part of the Australian Christmas, perhaps it is the Northern Hemisphere that should be jealous 🙂
Do I have to choose just one favourite Christmas treat, I’m going to give you a couple… my Mums white Christmas, she seems to come up with a slightly different version each year, fresh stone fruit, Baked Cheesecake, a yummy homemade cheese ball and let’s not forget about a glass of champagne!
I’m loving the looks of your spiced nuts especially with the dark chocolate option, I know one Zadada who would love them!
Have a great weekend.
You definitely do not have to choose just one- what an awesome list. I love that you included stone fruit in there, definitely on the table for all of my family Christmasses.
There is something special about combining sweet and salty and spicy that just works, especially with nuts, and chocolate too. This could be my new favourite! But until I try making this my favourite is mars bar slice. So decadent that I only make it once a year, and love every bite of it. Thanks for linking up with my Christmas Link Party. xx
Mars bar slice was a staple for all my birthday parties as a kid. I just love it. I’ve just found your recipe on your blog- definitely having that sometime soon 🙂
Shortbread shapes of stars and trees
Sweet and delicious, they certainly please
Buttery, smooth, soft as silk
I even leave some for Santa with his milk!
I love this little poem. I also adore shortbread 🙂
At Christmas it’s become a tradition for me to make ‘crazy wish gingerbread’ treats for my family. Usually this involves about 5 times the amount of ginger generally suggested. Also a tonne of nutmeg, vanilla and grated lemon rind to make it extra tasty. I don’t have cutters, so I just get creative with random kitchen utensils and attempt to make the dough into whatever people have been dreaming about that year. Last year I wrapped & stuffed them into little socks. My Uncle got a tractor, my Mum some chickens & my brother a stocking full of delicately sculpted ginger dog poop. I am such a mean sister – he loved it 😉
You are such a delightful creature x 🙂
I love my Christmases at the beach with lots and lots of healthy food and treats from Herbalife. I have got two blogs running now and one of them is about Herbalife. I enjoy nutritious shakes