Spiced macadamia nuts

[Ishbel]

These nuts are great with pre-dinner drinks.
This recipe makes enough for two/three people. When I am making enough for a larger group, I just eyeball the amounts required!

1 teaspoon butter
200g macadamia nuts
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
half teaspoon allspice

Preheat oven to gas mark 4/180C.

Mix all ingredients together and put in a roasting tray and put in the oven. They'll take about 10 minutes to cook, but shake halfway through cooking time in order to coat the nuts in the buttery mix. When finished, sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill.

[pepper]

hazelnuts are really good too, and they're not as expensive. although it's a pain to remove the skins. here's a recipe for vanilla hazelnuts. it's not as involved as it seems.

Ingredients:
6 cups hazelnuts
1 vanilla bean
16 oz sugar
4 egg whites
dash of salt
2 tablespoons coffee liquer

Preheat oven to 250 with racks in upper and lower thirds. Spread hazelnuts on two rimmed baking sheets. Toast in oven, stirring halfwaythrough, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; leave oven on. Place nuts in a kitchen towel; rub to remove skins. Let cool. Scrape vanilla seed into a small bowl. Stir in sugar; set aside. In a bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and salt until frothy. Pour in sugar mixture; whisk until thick and foamy. Whisk in liqueur; fold in nuts. Spread mixture on two baking sheets. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for about 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then transfer to another baking sheet; let cool.

[Ishbel]

That sounds really interesting Pepper - but I'm not keen on sweet flavoured snacks with alcohol.

[pepper]

Good point Ishbel. I never thought of that. I'm trying to think if there's something you could substitute for the liquer. I wonder if you could do some kind of coffee cream combination. What do you think?

[Ishbel]

No, I think you misunderstood me - I LIKE the coffee liquer in your recipe - I just don't like to have a drink and eat sweet-flavoured snacks with that drink!

Keep the Tia Maria or whatever you used - I would think it adds depth to the flavours!