A Sweet & Spicy Snack

Once the children are tucked up in bed and I’ve cleaned away the evening mess from the kitchen, my time for snacking begins. I can go a whole day avoiding the biscuit tin, ignoring half packets of crisps peeping out for the press. I can even bypass cakes with my afternoon cuppa, yet once night-time is neigh I can’t resist snacks. I prefer savoury or salty snacks to sweet ones, yet believe me I don’t discriminate, especially if there’s only the option of chocolate biscuits in the press. In a bid to eat less processed goodies and more homemade ones I find myself regularly seeking out snack recipes which would satisfy this need. Hummus is one of my favourites, especially when paired with nice crispy breadsticks. Also I'm rather partial to nuts, of any variety. This hazelnut recipe happens to make a fairly healthy snack. Yes, there is a little butter in this recipe but it really adds to the nuts deliciousness and works wonderfully with the sweet and salty seasoning. A handful of these will always ease my snack craving as they are rather filling. Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Hazelnuts

Ingredients

150g raw hazelnuts, out of their shells

25g butter

½ teaspoon salt

¼ tsp smoked paprika

2 teasp soft brown sugar

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 200c /fan 180c /gas mark 6.

2.       Place the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking tray. Toast in the hot oven for about 10mins until the nuts have begun to brown and the skin starts to split from the nut. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool a little, and then tip into a clean tea-towel.

3.       Using the tea-towel, rub the hazelnuts to loosen and remove most of the skins.

4.       Roughly chop the nuts, leaving most of them whole.

5.       In a small saucepan melt the butter until it froths a little. Remove from heat and add the salt and paprika. Pour the nuts into the saucepan. Combine all the ingredients well and tip back onto the baking tray and bake in the oven for 7 mins.

6.       Remove from the oven, pour into a bowl and immediately sprinkle over the sugar. Stir to combine.

7.       Allow to cool and serve. 

It has been quite a good year for wild fruit and nuts. The children and I collected a nice amount of hazelnuts, from our near-by trees, but we did leave plenty for the squirrel's winter stash.

If using unshelled nuts for the this recipe, roast them first. Place the hazelnuts onto a baking tray and place in a preheated hot oven {200c /fan 180c /gas mark 6}, for about 20 minutes. Remove from the tray and leave to cool before cracking open. 

It is almost time for Halloween and tomorrow {Tuesday} morning I'll be chatting about all things Halloween on Midlands Radio 3. Also if you are planning a little party, have a look at my Halloween Page, where I have a few party ideas.