Wednesday, September 09, 2009

September 3-4, 2009: Lemon pepper cashews

It's not often that I post recipes more than once, but this one is so good I consider it a public service announcement. I initially made Fiber's lemon pepper cashews for a Moonlight Cinema picnic where they were enjoyed by all; since then I've prepared them for any number of housewarmings, picnics and study sessions. Vegan and gluten-free, they're almost universally suitable and are proving to be universally addictive.

This week I made them for one of our lab's regular seminars (along with more grubs), where I had a whole new audience of eaters hooked. Managing to get a better photo of their golden brownness and noting that I didn't actually transcribe the recipe in my original post, I thought it was high time I reminded you of this buzzin' mix of sugar, salt, pepper and lemon zest. While it's a doddle to stir together, danger does lie in wait - melted sugar is very, very hot and however much you may want to test-taste these, it is a bad bad idea until they've spent some time cooling on a tray.



Lemon pepper cashews
(from this recipe, by Fiber of 28 Cooks)

1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
zest of 1 lemon

Stir the cashews and sugar together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the sugar starts to melt, lower the heat and keep cooking and stirring the cashews until the sugar is completely melted and evenly coating the nuts. The nuts should start toasting to a golden brown during this process - be careful not to let them burn! Stir through a generous seasoning of salt and pepper; take the nuts off the heat and stir through the lemon zest. Line a baking tray or cake rack with baking paper and spread out the cashews over it to cool. Do not try to eat them until they've cooled! Break apart the individual cashews and munch away, storing any leftovers (ha!) in an airtight container.

18 comments:

  1. very tempting photo - I think these would go well in a salad with greens and strawberries - glad you are still making grubs too!

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  2. Sounds delicious, and without all the usual 20 ingredient long list of rubbish that goes with most flavoured nuts. I am so going to make these :-)

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  3. lol, cashew crack. lemon and cashews would taste delightful....I gotta try this one.

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  4. I was so inspired I made this last night...YUM.

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  5. Public Service Announcement! *giggle*

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  6. Thanks got posting the recipe Cindy. You have indeed done the public a great service. Duncan made these and I tried some and they were amazingly good. He told me the recipe but I didn't get exact quantities. Now I can make them properly.

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  7. Johanna, they probably would - you could even tone down the sugar quantity for a salad.

    Kristy, the ingredients list is mercifully short and the method isn't too complicated - you should definitely get onto it!

    Maria, I love lemon with just about anything... I reckon ginger could be nice on these too.

    Glad you liked 'em, Placebogirl!

    Miss T, given their high sugar & fat content and addictive nature, I wonder if this is actually the opposite of a public service announcment. ;-)

    You're welcome, Thanh! I bet Duncan did a great job, and you'll have no trouble making them either.

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  8. I love simple foods like this. Will make a nice cupcake topping as well.

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  9. Go for it, $10 Meals!

    Penny, you are probably right but they wouldn't last long enough to make it to a cupcake in this house. :-)

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  10. Mmm...forgot how much I love these. Thanks for the PSA! =)

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  11. Oh I have never forgotten, Fiber! These are just too good. :-D

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  12. Brilliant. I'm making this tomorrow at work for next week's promotions (organic raw cashers are on special!). D'you reckon honey would work as well as sugar?

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  13. I'm not sure - the sugar needs to harden on the cashews as they cool, whereas I fear that honey might remain liquid and sticky. It'd still taste great, I'm sure of that. :-D

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  14. Stephen & Michelle11:18 pm, June 05, 2011

    Hi we made them in two batches..1st with almonds..we had no cashews.... they needed a bit more suger.. was yummo and then no 2 Aussie macadamias..OMG!!...Again thank you

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  15. Hi Stephen & Michelle - we made them this weekend too! I can imagine that this flavouring would taste fantastic on macadamias. :-)

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  16. I just made these yesterday, and they were amazing! I made them for a bit of fun with no particular purpose in mind, but then my boyfriend and his workmate suddenly turned up at home because their work's internet died and they desperately needed to keep working! I put the nuts out on the table for the guys, and within half an hour they were gone. I can't stop thinking about those nuts, I need to make some more today!

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  17. Ha, thanks Anna. Sounds like the right occasion appeared once the nuts were ready. :-D

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