Category: Baking, Competitions, Recipes | Post by: Andrea Wong
I must confess, I'm but nutty. I love almost every kind of nut that I have tried. Nuts are not only delicious, but are also very good for you (in moderation). Macadamias, with their plump nuts and buttery, crunchy texture are one of my favourites.
I am happy to learn that they contain a myriad of health benefits, making munching on a handful of them seem a little less decadent.
Some of macadamias' benefits include:
- High in antioxidants and protein
- Contain lots of monosaturated oil, which is one of the healthy oils and is great for the heart
- Have a low glycaemic index (GI) which means the
carbohydrate they contain is broken down slowly by the body. Low GI foods
assist in the management of weight, blood sugar levels and cholesterol.
Not only are the whole nuts good for you, but the oil is too. Macadamia nut oil takes advantage of the nuts' natural monounsaturated fat content (84%), making it the oil with the highest level of monounsaturated fats
of all cooking oils available in New Zealand. It also contains Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, making it one of the healthiest oils around.
When I first tried macadamia nut oil, my eyes widened as my tastebuds went "mmmm!". Right away you can tell that it would be great for not only for salad dressings and baking, but also for pan frying. It has a wonderful sweet, buttery, nutty taste and a high smoke point of 212ºc which makes it very versatile.
As a person with an incredibly sweet tooth, the macadamia ginger crunch recipe piqued my interest, which the folks at Cathedral Cove Macadamias is kindly sharing with us.
Macadamia Ginger Crunch
Ingredients
For the base:
200g butter (slightly melted or at room temperature) or 100mls of Cathedral Cove Macadamia Oil
1 c brown sugar
2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
For the icing:
100g butter
180g golden syrup
3 tsp ground ginger
2 1/2 c icing sugar
100g Cathedral Cove Macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (you can lightly toast these in a pan to add a more roasted flavour to your slice)
Directions
For the base:
- Cream together the butter and sugar, then stir in the rest of the ingredients
- Press the base into a lined 25cm x 20cm (approx) slice tray and bake at 180c for about 20 minutes
- While the base is cooking, make the icing.
For the icing:
-
Slowly melt together the butter and golden syrup over a low heat then stir in the rest of the ingredients
The icing should be quite thick
- Whilst the base is still hot, spread over the icing
- Allow to cool then cut into thin
slices.
Makes approximately 14 serves.
Competition
Win one of three packs of Cathedral Cove Macadamias products, containing 250ml natural macadamia nut oil, 50g natural macadamia dukkah and 125g freshly harvested, dry roasted macadamia nuts.
To enter, please share with us:
What would you make using the dry roasted macadamia nuts?
The nuts are wonderfully buttery and crunchy, and are suited to both sweet and savoury dishes. Let your imagination go wild!
Competition closes Tuesday 27 October at 5.00pm
By entering the competition, you agree to the So D'lish competition terms and conditions.
This competition has now closed. Congratulations to Karyn, Fran and Kim - enjoy your Cathedral Cove Macadamias products!