Walnuts are one of the healthier treats you can snack on if you’re keeping an eye on your figure. With the holidays coming up, you might want to consider making some healthy recipes using these ingredients as your centerpiece.
If you’re interested in coming up with some amazing walnut-based treats for the holidays, then check out these three easy-to-make recipes.
Homemade Walnut Milk
If you’re a fan of lactose-free milk, then you’ll surely love making your own nut-based milk. There’s nothing like cozying up next to a fire while enjoy a warm mug of walnut milk. The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily make it yourself. What’s more, you can use unsweetened walnut milk for your other recipes as well.
Making milked nuts like these is relatively simple. You basically soak the walnuts in water in a 1:2 ratio—one cup of walnuts to 2 cups of water. You then need to leave the nuts for up to 24 to 48 hours. Drain and rinse the nuts after, then run them through a high-powered blender on high for two minutes with water.
The resulting solution will leave you with nut milk. You’ll then need to strain the milk using a cheese cloth or a nut milk bag. And there you have it! Feel free to enjoy this rich and creamy milk beverage as you would with any regular dairy product.
Cinnamon Walnuts
If you’re looking for something healthy to snack on, then you might want to try a handful of cinnamon walnuts. A handful of fragrant and healthy nuts can be a great way to quell those hunger pangs and help stretch out a long day.
For this recipe, you’ll need 1 egg white, a cup of sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, a tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 4 cups of walnut halves. To start off, you’ll need to preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Next, you’ll need to apply some cooking spray onto a jelly roll pan.
Once these preparations are done, beat the egg white and the sugar in a bowl. Next, you’ll need to mix the cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, and then stir this into the egg mixture afterwards. You’ll need to coat the walnuts into this new mixture, and then arrange the coated nuts across the jelly roll pan.
Now you’re ready to pop the nuts into the oven for around an hour and 15 minutes. You’ll know when they’re done when the coating on the nuts becomes nice and crusty. Allow the nuts to cool around 5 minute before you serve them.
Walnut Toffee Treats
Candied treats are a definite must for the holidays and these walnut toffee treats are a great way to keep the kids smiling throughout the season. They also make great gifts that are in the spirit of the holiday season.
Making these sweet treats, you’ll need 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup, 3 tablespoons of water, 1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts, and a package of chocolate chips.
Start off by taking a 9 inch square baking dish and spread some butter across it. Take your cup of butter and heat it in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add both the sugar and the corn syrup then stir the mixture until it becomes smooth. After, add the water and continue to stir. Continue to heat the mixture until it reaches 290 degrees F (145 degrees C). Make sure to use a candy thermometer when taking the temperature.
Once it’s reached the ideal temperature, add in the cup of walnuts and cook it for 3 minutes while stirring the mixture. Once this is done, pour everything into the prepared pan and let it cool. Once the resulting toffee has cooled, remove it from the pan and place it on some waxed paper.
Next, melt the chocolate chips in a metal bowl over a simmering pan of water, making sure to stir it frequently until it smoothens. Spread the melted chocolate on one side of the toffee slab, and then sprinkle it with the remaining walnuts. Allow the chocolate to cool, and do it again on the other side of the slab. Finally, divide everything into smaller bite-sized pieces and you’re done.
There you have it: three amazing walnut treats that you can enjoy with your loved ones during the season. If you’re looking to get creative with some nutty recipes, then consider making these during the holidays.
