sweet miscellany

seasonal plant-based recipes

Maple Roasted Pecans with Nutmeg & Poppy Seeds

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Christmas is in 3 days and I’m still not sure where the rest of the year went.  It snuck up on me way too fast this time.  I still have a bit of shopping to do and the thought of having to go anywhere with other crazy shoppers makes my head hurt.  Maybe if I gorge on enough sugar cookies and fudge I’ll put myself into enough of a sugar coma that everything will seem holly and jolly.  Or, I’ll just end up feeling like I need to go eat 5 pounds of spinach and run 50 miles.

I figured I would share a moderately healthy recipe that is easy and works for entertaining.  You can prepare these for a party, perhaps as a finger food.  You could also just make them as a snack for yourself or sprinkle them over a lovely, leafy, green salad.  Either way, you should definitely make these so you can savor their warmly spiced maple-y pecan goodness.  Oh, and did I mention these are gluten free and vegan?

Maple Roasted Pecans with Nutmeg & Poppy Seeds
You don’t have to use poppy seeds if you aren’t a fan of them.  I just like the added crunch and texture they give to the pecans.

 2 cups whole pecans, shelled
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil 
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
sea salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 300F and line a sheet with parchment paper.  Spread the pecans out on the lined baking sheet.  In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut oil and maple syrup and warm until the coconut oil isn’t solid.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and the poppy seeds.  Drizzle this mixture over the pecans, making sure to coat all of them.  Bake, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are toasty and golden, about 25 minutes.  After you remove the nuts from the oven, sprinkle with more salt if desired, then let them cool completely before eating.  Store leftovers in an airtight container.  Enjoy!   

Cardamom Pistachio Meringues

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I’ve been doing a lot of things in the past year that I had never attempted before.  I made almond butter for the first time, learned how to knit, started experimenting with gluten free and vegan baking, and began canning my own jams and preserves, among many others. Mostly it’s been a journey into making a lot of things by hand instead of buying them at the store.  I must say it’s been quite fulfilling and I would suggest it to anyone.

While brainstorming ideas for Christmas cookies, I came to the realization that I had never attempted to make meringues.  It’s not that I thought they would be hard or that I wouldn’t like them.  Perhaps it’s just because I simply forgot about them.  Whatever the reason, I made them and they were amazing.  I think the greatness of these cookies comes from their texture.  They are like little clouds of sweetness with a crisp exterior and a slightly chewy interior.  Maybe this is a bit bold, but they are almost the embodiment of the perfect cookie texture: not to crisp and not too soft with a bit of chewiness and lightness.  Is all of that possible in one cookie, you ask?  Yes, and it’s name is meringue.  Oh, and to add another degree of awesomeness to the meringues, they are naturally gluten free and infinitely customizable regarding flavorings!

Never being one to follow a recipe without adding my own spin, I added ground pistachios and cardamom to the meringues to give them a lovely flavor reminiscent of Indian sweets which is perfect for the holiday season.  I formed them free-hand to make them look more like a cookie shape, but you could definitely pipe them out with a piping bag and special star tip.  And, if you are feeling really fancy, you could make some magno curd and sandwich it between two merginues for a decadent treat.

Cardamom Pistachio Meringues
It is important to note that the egg whites used must be at room temperature.  Also, these cookies take around 3 hours from baking time to cooling time before they can be enjoyed, so plan accordingly.   

2 egg whites at room temperature    
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tartar
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup raw pistachios, ground into pistachio meal in a food processor or blender

Preheat your overn to 200F and put the racks in the middle.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. 

Put the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer (or, in a large bowl with a hand mixer).  Beat the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment until they are frothy and just beginning to gain volume.  At this point, with the mixer still running, slowly start adding the powdered sugar and cardamom.  When all of the powdered sugar and cardamom are in, increase the speed on the mixer to medium-high.  Keep the mixer running and watch the merginue.  It will steadily increase in volume and become very thick and glossy like marshmallow cream.  After several minutes, when the meringue is glossy and has very stiff peaks, it’s ready.  Stop the mixer and using a spatula, fold in most of the ground pistachios, reserving some for the tops of the meringues.  Be gentle as you do not want to disturb the structure of the meringue.  Spoon (or pipe) the mixture onto your baking sheet and shape to your liking.  I was able to get 12 rather large, round meringues out of the mixture.  They won’t spread so you can place them close together.  Sprinkle the tops with the remaining ground pistachios, then put in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour.  After 1 hour check the meringues and make sure they aren’t sticky or wet.  Bake for an additional 30 minutes to an hour until the outside of the meringue is firm and dry.  Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool to room temperature inside the oven.  Once cooled, store in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

makes about a dozen large meringues