Nuts in the Kitchen Read Free Page A

then give up their juices. Cook until they are tender and very juicy, about 20 minutes, then stir in the honey and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the compote from the stove, stir in the pine nuts, and either serve immediately or let cool to room temperature first.

 
     
    Crunchy Granola
    Makes about 6 cups
    This crunchy mixture of grains and seeds is so beguiling it’s hard not to eat it by the handful. Which, actually, isn’t the worst way to eat this nutritious and delicious breakfast cereal. Consider it as a snack. If you’re not a milk drinker, try pouring fresh apple juice over this instead, with a topping of yogurt. Serve it with fresh fruit, use it as a topping for hot cereal, or stir it into muffins or sweet breads. It’s versatile and delicious.
    1 cup (16 tablespoons; 250 g) unsalted butter
    ¼ cup (60 ml) mild honey
    ¼ cup (55 g) dark brown sugar
    ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    4 cups rolled oats or flakes made from other grains
    1 cup (90 g) unsweetened coconut
    ¼ cup (40 g) sunflower seeds
    1 / 3 cup (35 g) sesame seeds
    1 / 3 cup (30 g) raw almonds
    Note: Use this recipe as a guide. You may add other seeds or nuts, other grains like buckwheat or quinoa flakes or even chickpea flakes (don’t use rice flakes, though; they’re tough). Use more or less honey or brown sugar, or all honey or all brown sugar, but know that if you use all honey the granola is likely to brown much more quickly. In fact, even with the amount of honey called for, the granola tends to brown quickly, so don’t leave the kitchen as it is baking. And don’t leave out the vanilla!
    Unsweetened coconut is available at health food and specialty stores.
     
    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
     
    2. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it has melted enough to cover the bottom of the pan, add the honey and brown sugar and whisk occasionally as the butter melts. When it is fully melted, gently whisk in the salt and vanilla. Remove from the heat.
     
    3. Place the grains, coconut, seeds, and almonds in a large bowl. Pour the sauce—it may still be very hot, whichis fine—over the mixture. Toss until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined, then turn out the granola onto two baking sheets. Spread it out into an even layer and bake in the center of the oven, stirring occasionally, until the granola is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. (Remember that if you’ve used exclusively honey you should reduce the baking time. Watch it—you’ll know when the granola is ready by its golden color.)
     
    4. Remove from the heat and let cool, then break up the clumps and transfer to airtight containers and store in a cool spot. The granola will keep well for about 1 month.

 
     
    Heavenly Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
    Makes about 2 cups (500 ml)
    The title says it all, and, yes, I was inspired by Nutella to make this luscious spread. I adore Nutella, and this is even better, more richly flavored, more elegant. And it makes a relatively small quantity, so it is something to truly savor, every single mouthful.
    Nutella is that sinfully rich chocolate and hazelnut spread that Mr. Pietro Ferrero, an Italian candy magnate from Piemonte, Italy, developed after World War II. Chocolate was in short supply and taxes on it were high, so to extend it Mr. Ferrero ground the sweet, local tonde gentile hazelnut to a paste and added it to chocolate. He had a model to follow, for giandujotti, small hazelnut and chocolate confections developed to cut back on the costs of pure chocolate confections in the mid-1800s, had already made Turin candy makers famous throughout Italy.
    Mr. Ferrero’s chocolate-extender took the form of a Velveeta-like block, ready for slicing and slapping between two pieces of bread. It wasn’t until several years later that Mr. Ferrero turned his mixture into one of spreadable consistency. Sometime later he and his