Dates Nut Roll

I buy these jumbo dates at Costco, which are plump, moist and absolutely divine. It is super sweet even for a sweet tooth like me. Most of the time i just stare at the box and thinking how to eat'em all. Now this recipe comes handy which makes a guilt-free goodness in every bite, making it a great dessert or even a go-to snack. The nuts adds a great deal of good fats and satisfying crunch. Feel free to fancy any your favorite nuts and dried fruits. Next time i am planning to add pistachios and dried figs to make it a richer roll. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Dates (finely chopped)

1/4 cup raw Walnuts (finely chopped)

1/4 cup raw Almonds (finely chopped)

1/4 cup raw Cashews (finely chopped)

1 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)

 How to:

• Dry roast the chopped nuts together and keep aside. (You can roast the nuts whole and then chop'em.)

• In a skillet, heat ghee and add the dates. Cook until it comes together for 3-5 mins at medium-low heat.

• Now add the lightly roasted nuts and mix well. Continue cooking the nut-date mixture for a couple more mins. (The nuts may look a lot, but the dates can take it all so don't be alarmed.)

• Transfer the mixture on to a greased plate and let cool for 10 mins.

• Now gently press'em to form a cylindrical roll and tightly wrap it with plastic.

• Refrigerate the roll for 3 hrs. Cut into 1/4 inch rounds and serve.

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate it.

Baklava

Baklava is a sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey. A Greek favorite that makes everyone's mouth water. It is the yummiest and finger-licking sweet that i am up for at any time of the day. With a few ingredients it is easy to make a whole batch at your home. Everything tastes better when it is homemade. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) package Phyllo dough

4 cups whole raw Walnuts

1/2 cup melted Butter

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 1/2 cups Water

1 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup White Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

3/4 cup Honey

1 tsp Rose water

How to:

• Thaw the phyllo dough according to the directions on the package.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce by boiling water and 1 1/2 cups sugar until the sugar is melted. 

• Reduce the heat, then add vanilla, rose water and honey and simmer for 20 mins until it thickens slightly.

• Let the sauce sit in the refrigerator until you finish baking.
• Roast the walnuts on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 mins. Let cool and finely chop'em.
• In a bowl, toss the nuts along with cinnamon and 1/4 cup of sugar and keep it aside.

• Coat a 9x13 baking pan lightly with butter and set aside.

• Unroll the thawed phyllo dough and with the nuts and melted butter ready, let's start layering.
• Place two sheets of dough in the pan, butter thoroughly with a silicone basting brush. Repeat this until you have 8 sheets layered.

• Now sprinkle 3-4 tbsp of nut mixture on top, place 2 sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. Keep aside 8 sheets for the top layer.

• Once layered, place the pan in the refrigerator for 15 mins. 
• With a sharp knife, cut the layers deep enough but not all the way through and brush the top with butter.

• Meanwhile preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 40 mins, until golden on top.

• Immediately spoon the cooled syrup all over the hot baklava. 

• Let cool completely and rest overnight before you serve.

• Store at room temperature by loosely wrapping with a newspaper.

Tips:

• Allowing it to rest for 4-5 days before serving really soaks up the goodness of the syrup.
• It takes time to get comfortable with phyllo dough. Cover the unwrapped phyllo dough with a plastic wrap and lay a slightly wet paper towel over it to prevent drying.

Spiced Candied Nut Clusters

If you love snacking on nuts and bored of store-bought spiced nuts, you will be amazed how easy and tasty they are to make at home. These sweet, slightly spicy and salty nuts are perfect to munch anytime of the day. These nuts will turn out to be the one of those things that you don't want to put it down. With your own combination of spice mix, you will go nuts over these spiced nuts. Also, nuts are a great way to add good fats to your diet, but make sure you snack'em mindfully. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 cup raw Almonds

1 cup raw Walnuts

1/2cup raw Cashews

1/4 cup raw Pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup raw Sunflower seeds

1/4cup + 2tbs White Sugar 

3/4tsp Cumin powder

1/2tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2tsp Cardamom powder

1 1/4tsp Salt

1 large Egg white

How to:

Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it aside.

In a big bowl beat the egg white until foamy. 

Add the nuts and seeds into the bowl, and stir until coated.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cumin powder, chilli powder, cardamom powder and salt.

Sprinkle the sugar-spice mix over the nuts and mix to coat well.

Now spread the coated nuts on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 35 mins and let cool on the sheet for an hour.

Once cooled, the sugar hardens and you can break'em into bite sized pieces. 

Serve as a party snack or on the-go munchies.