Walnut Butter Food

WALNUT BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread nuts in one layer on a baking sheet. Toast until fragrant and lightly colored, about 10 minutes. Stir about halfway through the baking time.
• Add nuts to a food processor, discarding any dried skin and dust. Add the salt and chop the nuts finely. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Whirl until the nuts are ground into butter, stopping to scrape down the sides two or three times.

WALNUT BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat your oven to 400 degrees F and spread the walnuts in a pan.
• Bake until golden brown and toasted, about 10-15 mins.
• Place the walnuts in a high powered food processor (mine is 3 cups) and process until smooth and creamy, only 3-5 minutes.
• Add in the salt and honey (optional) and process again.
• Spread on ALL the things!

RAVIOLI WITH SAGE-WALNUT BUTTER

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the vinegar, honey and bay leaf in a small saucepan and boil over medium-high heat until syrupy, 4 to 5 minutes. Cover to keep warm.
• Add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook as the label directs. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the sage and walnuts and cook until the nuts are toasted, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high, ladle in about 1 cup cooking water and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Drain the ravioli, reserving another 1/2 cup cooking water. Add the ravioli to the skillet and toss to coat, adding the reserved water as needed. Remove from the heat, toss with the parmesan and season with salt. Divide the ravioli among plates and drizzle with the balsamic syrup.

HOMEMADE WALNUT BUTTER RECIPE

Steps:

• If you'd like to toast the walnuts, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant, 8-10 minutes. Allow to slightly cool.
• Transfer the walnuts to your food processor. Process on high, stopping 3-4 times to scrape the sides with a spatula and allow the food processor to rest, until smooth and creamy, 10-15 minutes.
• If using the optional additions, now is the time to add the sea salt, honey and coconut oil to the food processor. Process until smooth and fully incorporated, 1-2 more minutes.
• Keep the walnut butter in an airtight container. I keep it on the kitchen counter, but I use a little every day so it only lasts about a week. If you plan to store the walnut butter for longer, I suggest storing it in the fridge. If stored at room temperature, some oil separation will occur - stir before using.

WALNUT BUTTER

Steps:

• Soaked walnuts: This method will remove some of the tannin and bitterness from the walnut skin, and offer a more textured walnut butter. Soak walnuts overnight, drain and discard the water. Then, toast the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for up to 15 minutes to dry them out (don't allow them get dark). Cool the walnuts before making them into butter.
• Toasted walnuts: To enhance the sweet, nutty flavor of walnuts, toast them before making them into butter. Walnut butter with toasted walnuts will provide a coarse textured finished product. Toast walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for 8 to 10, or until fragrant. Cool the walnuts before making them into butter.
• To make the butter: Put the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and grind them until they become sticky or paste-like. Add the salt. Add the oil, a little bit at a time until the walnut butter binds together. Add the honey and/or cinnamon to taste.

DARK CHOCOLATE WALNUT BUTTER CUPS

Steps:

• Line the holes of the muffin tin with paper cases and set aside. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Spread the walnuts out in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 12-15 mins, or until fragrant and slightly darker in colour. Tip into a small food processor and blitz in 1-min bursts, scraping down the sides between each burst. When you have a buttery, mostly smooth paste, the walnut butter is ready - this may take 5-10 mins. You don't want it to be completely smooth, as it will become too runny to fill the cups.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Alternatively, do this in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Spoon 1 tsp chocolate into each case, then freeze for 10 mins before adding a spoonful of walnut butter. Push in a few pieces of chopped date, then spoon over the remaining melted chocolate. Freeze for at least another 30 mins, or until the chocolate is firm (the walnut centre will remain gooey), then transfer to a freezerproof container. Will keep frozen for up to a month.