Holiday Baking with California Walnuts!
Whether you’re whipping up festive cookies, decadent cakes, or healthy treats, these recipes are sure to add a touch of goodness and health to your celebrations.
Apple Walnut Palmiers
Ingredients
2 cups walnut pieces, coarsely chopped
½ cup apple jelly (you can use apple jam also)
½ cup honey
½ teaspoon cinnamon
500g package puff pastry, thawed
Preparations
1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine walnuts, apple jelly, honey, and cinnamon.
4. Divide the mixture between two sheets of puff pastry and spread the mixture evenly. To shape the palmier, roll one edge of pastry to form a pinwheel; stopping at the middle. Roll the opposite edge to make a second pinwheel. Repeat with the second puff pastry sheet.
5. Transfer the palmiers onto a cutting board or plate, cover with plastic wrap, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
6. After the palmiers have been refrigerated for 30 minutes, remove them from the fridge and slice each palmier roll into 16 even slices, and place onto a baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time on the center oven rack for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.
Tip: Palmier rolls can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated. Baked palmiers will keep for up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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Cheese, Walnut & Hot Honey Monkey Bread
Ingredients
50g butter
200ml milk
500g strong white bread flour
7g sachet dried yeast
2 medium eggs, beaten
100g Stilton cheese, crumbled
150g runny honey
½ teaspoon mild chilli powder
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
100g California walnuts, chopped
Coating
100g butter, melted
150g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
Preparations
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan with the milk and cool until lukewarm.
2. Place the flour, yeast, and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix well. Stir the milk into the flour with the eggs to form a rough dough. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Add the Stilton cheese and mix until evenly combined.
3. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover, leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Meanwhile, melt the honey, chili powder, flakes, and Walnuts until bubbling then set aside.
5. Knock back the dough and divide into 30 small balls. Grease a large 23cm bundt or savarin tin and drizzle in half the hot honey mixture. Dip the dough balls in the melted butter and roll in a little Cheddar and place in the tin, layer up, drizzling with the remaining hot honey as you go. Leave to prove for 1 hour until doubled in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 30 minutes, covering with foil after 20 minutes to stop it getting too dark. Cool in the tin before upturning onto a board.
Tip: Great as part of a Christmas buffet, with Continental meats, salads, and soups. Try using shop-bought hot honey to save a little time making your own.
Cinnamon Chelsea Buns
Ingredients
500g strong white bread flour
7g sachet dried yeast
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
50g caster sugar
200ml milk
2 medium eggs, beaten
50g butter, softened
50g mixed peel
50g walnuts, chopped
Filling
1½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
150g light brown soft sugar
125g butter, softened
50g mixed peel
50g glace cherries, chopped
50g walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon honey, warmed
Preparations
1. Place the flour, yeast, cinnamon, sugar, and 1 tsp salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix well. Warm the milk in a small saucepan and stir into the flour with the eggs to form a rough dough. Knead for 5 minutes then gradually add in the butter until well mixed. Add the mixed peel and walnuts and mix until evenly combined.
2. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover, leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. To make the filling, mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Beat the butter in another bowl until pale and then beat in the cinnamon sugar.
4. On a floured surface, knead the dough briefly to knock out the air. Roll into a rectangle approx. 40x30cm. Spread the cinnamon butter to the edges and sprinkle with the mixed peel, cherries, and walnuts. From the long edge, roll up tightly. Cut into 12.
5. Grease and line a 20x30cm tin, add the buns, cut side up, and leave to prove again for 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 30 minutes, covering with foil towards the end if looking too dark. Allow to cool in the tin, then brush with honey.
Tip: Try swapping the cherries and mixed peel with raisins.
Ginger, Walnut & Fig Loaf Cake
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter
2 stem ginger, finely chopped + 3 tablespoon ginger syrup
100g dark brown soft sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 large eggs
200g self-raising flour
75g walnuts, chopped + 6 whole walnuts
2 fresh figs, halved
Preparations
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin.
2. Place the butter, 2 teaspoons ginger syrup, sugar, stem, and ground ginger in a medium saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for 1 minute then allow to cool.
3. Beat the eggs into the butter mixture along with the flour and 75g chopped walnuts. Transfer to the prepared tin. Top with the halved figs, cut side up, and whole walnuts.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool before upturning onto a cooling rack. Brush with a little stem ginger syrup.