Cashew Candy Crunch Sundae Food

GRILLED PEAR SUNDAE

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium.
• In a small saucepan add butter, brown sugar, apple cider, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Place onto grill until butter melts. Mix together until well combined.
• Place pears directly onto grill for 2 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side. Brush both sides of the pears with the butter mixture to glaze. Immediately take pears off the grill after glazing and place on a plate.
• Scoop ice cream into 4 serving bowls. Top with pears, pecans and whipped cream. Drizzle the remaining butter mixture on top and serve.

CASHEW CRUNCH

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil and grease the foil with 2 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, cayenne, salt and remaining butter. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved., Add cashews and bring to a boil; cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 280° (soft-crack stage), about 6 minutes., Immediately pour into prepared pan; spread with a metal spatula. Cool completely. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

CASHEW CANDY CRUNCH

Steps:

• Butter a 15x10x1-in. pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. , Reduce heat; cut remaining butter into cubes and carefully stir into syrup. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 280° (soft-crack stage). Add nuts; cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 295°. , Remove from the heat; stir in baking soda. Immediately pour into prepared pan. Cool; break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

CARAMEL AND CRèME FRAîCHE SUNDAES WITH CASHEWS

Steps:

• Whisk 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks in medium bowl. Bring 1 1/2 cups milk, cream, sugar, and salt to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture; return to same saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens enough to leave path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 6 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into medium bowl. Place over large bowl of ice water and cool, stirring often. Whisk in crème fraîche and vanilla. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to container. Cover and freeze at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.
• Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides and swirling pan, about 16 minutes (time will vary depending on size of pan). Remove pan from heat. Mix in cream, crème fraîche, and butter (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until sauce is smooth. Discard vanilla bean. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm slightly before serving.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix cashews, oil, and salt in small bowl. Spread out on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until nuts are golden, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight.)
• Scoop ice cream into dishes. Spoon warm caramel sauce over. Top sundaes with whipped cream and cashews.

SPICED CANDIED CASHEWS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put the nuts, sugar, water, and salt into a large skillet over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook until the water is nearly evaporated and the liquid becomes syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the spices together in a small bowl.
• After 10 minutes, sprinkle the spices over the nuts and stir well. Continue stirring constantly while the water evaporates completely, about 5 minutes. When there is no longer any sugar syrup left in the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat and stir the nuts vigorously but carefully in the pan until the sugar seizes up and the nuts are evenly coated with crystallized sugar.
• Turn the nuts out onto the lined baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Cool completely before sifting the excess sugar from the coated nuts and storing in an airtight container.
• Cook's Note: DO NOT touch the nuts at any time while cooking or just afterward. Cooked sugar is extremely hot and can burn instantly when touched.

CANDIED CASHEWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cashews on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Toast the cashews for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Be sure to watch the cashews carefully so they don't burn! Remove the cashews from the oven and cool. In a saucepan (copper works best), add the sugar and the water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling and the sugar has dissolved, add the cashews. Continue cooking the mixture, stirring constantly. The sugar will thicken, and then become granular again, continue stirring. The sugar will then begin to turn back into a clear liquid. When all of the sugar has turned into a clear liquid, remove the pan from the heat, stirring constantly. Once the sugar begins to turn a golden color, spoon the nuts onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Allow to cool.;

MIXED-NUT BUTTER-CRUNCH CANDY

Steps:

• To set up: Butter a baking sheet (about 10 by 12) and line the sheet with of parchment paper (allow excess paper at both ends). Grease paper and set sheet aside. Reserve any remaining melted butter for later. Line two more shallow baking sheets or trays with waxed paper for holding and chilling assembled candy and set them aside. Cut each stick of butter in half and place next to work surface, along with measured salt, baking soda, vanilla and coarsely chopped macadamia nuts. Place chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set aside. Place a cup of hot water next to stove and put a pastry brush in water.
• To prepare toffee: Place a 2 1/2-quart heavy bottomed saucepan on the stove. Place water, sugar and corn syrup in the pan and stir gently to combine. Place pan over medium heat and as sugar dissolves, swirl pan gently. Let mixture come to a rolling boil and, once boiling and mixture is clear, don't stir or swirl pan anymore. If, while sugar is boiling, any sugar crystals cling to sides of pan, use moistened pastry brush to wash sides of the pan. Cook syrup until starts becoming a very light amber color. Lower heat and add butter, one half stick at a time, stirring very gently. (Only add additional butter after preceding piece has become melted and fully incorporated.) Once all the butter has been added, place candy thermometer into mixture, making sure that the bottom tip does not touch the bottom of the pan. Raise heat to medium and boil mixture until the temperature reads between 295 degrees F and 300 degrees F. Remove thermometer from pan and pan from stove and immediately stir in salt, baking soda, vanilla and macadamia nuts. (Quickly stick thermometer it warm water to aid in clean up.) Immediately, pour candy mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Brush the bottom of a long off-set metal spatula (an icing spatula is perfect) or a knife with some melted butter. Spread the candy mixture out so that it is 1/4-inch thick. Use the knife to push the sides back into a rectangular shape as the mixture cools. Let the mixture set for a few minutes.
• To melt chocolate: While toffee firms up a bit, melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a skillet with 1-inch of hot but not simmering water (stirring constantly until smooth). Be careful not to allow any water to enter bowl of chocolate.
• To cut candy: While candy mixture is still warm and pliable, use a buttered pastry scraper to score the candy into 1 1/2 by 2-inch rectangles. Let set further until the candy is firmer (5 minutes at room temperature). Score again through original cuts, making sure candy is in separate squares all the way through to the bottom. ( If stubborn, use your pastry scraper and mallet to knock through any sticky, tough spots. Hit the top (wooden part) of the scraper with a heavy mallet.)
• To fully assemble candy and chill: When chocolate is firm, pour melted chocolate over top of scored candy and, using a spatula, spread it out evenly. It's okay if the chocolate runs down into grooves in candy. Scatter 2 cups of the ground toasted nuts on top of the chocolate and press them into the chocolate. Reserve the remaining 1 cup of nuts. Lift one end of the parchment paper so the first line of cut candy bends and separates from the next line. Carefully lift one piece off at a time. Sprinkle with some additional nuts to coat any exposed chocolate. Place candy on prepared baking sheets lined with waxed paper (in a single layer) and refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) so chocolate will harden. Once set, place candy in an air-tight tin, separated in layers with waxed paper. Although these candies may be stored at room temperature, to best preserve fresh flavor, store them in the refrigerator.

HARD CANDY ORNAMENTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place desired shaped cookie cutters onto a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. Spray the inside of the cutters with a nonstick spray. Place 3 to 8 hard candies (it varies with cutter sizes) inside the cookie cutter. Place a small cake decorating tip inside the cutters. This will allow you to have a hole for your ribbon when decorating.
• Place in oven for 6 minutes. Allow to cool. When cooled, crack the overflowing candy around the cutter. Being very gentle, pop out the candy. Place ribbons in holes and decorate.

NAT'S BUTTERY CASHEW CRUNCH

Steps:

• Generously butter or grease a large baking sheet, and set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, salt and corn syrup. Cook, stirring until butter is melted. Stir in the cashews, and increase the heat to high. Heat to 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 154 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. Stir occasionally with a long handled wooden spoon so the cashews do not burn.
• Pour onto a greased baking sheet, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container lined with waxed paper.

BUTTERY CAYENNE-CASHEW CRUNCH

Steps:

• Butter nonstick baking sheet. Combine all ingredients in large nonstick skillet. Stir over low heat until butter melts and sugars dissolve. Increase heat to medium and boil, stirring constantly until mixture turns golden brown, thickens and begins to mass together, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour out onto prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly. Cool completely. Break into pieces.