ALL IN A NUTSHELL

New Zealand Listener, Volume 24, Issue 622, 1 June 1951, Page 22

ALL IN A NUTSHELL

UTS have been prized for centuries. They are flavoursome and crunchy and have food value. Don’t store nuts on a pantry shelf unless vacuum packed-they may get stale. Shelled, or unshelled nuts, may keep fresh for weeks in a tefrigerator. Add chopped nuts and a few raisins to the morning cereal. Nuts chopped very finely, mixed with sugar and cinnamon, and spread on hot buttered toast, and then just put under the grill till the sugar bubbles, make a supper or tea dainty. To Chop Nuts Here’s a good way to chop walnuts. Spread them on a chopping board, Hold the tip of a long sharp knife close to the board with the left hand while moving the handle up and down and around in a semi-circle with the right hand, to bring the knife down sharply on the uncut nuts. Keep chopped nuts on hand in a covered jar in refrigerator. Mix broken pieces of nuts with sugar and pop them into apple pies or peach pies. Fill cream puffs with sweetened whipped cream mixed with chopped nuts. Toasted Walnuts Have about 2 tablespoons butter or margarine hot in- a thick pan on the stove. In this sauté a cup of walnut halves or pieces until crunchy (about 5 minutes). Drain on soft paper. Sprinkle with salt if you like. Toss these into a salad, either fruit or mixed; or use as a topping for casserole dishes instead of breadcrumbs; or sprinkle over rice pudding. Give your imagination free rein. Nut Pumpkin Pie Line a deep pie plate with a rich pie crust, and flute the edges. Have ready iti a bowl 2 cups mashed cooked pumpkin, smooth and not too wet. Into this stir 44 tablespoon cornflour, 4% teaspoon baking. powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup rich milk, and a small half-teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg. Add 1 cup brown sugar. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the crust-lined plate, sprinkle with a little more nutmeg and bake in middle of moderate oven until crust is cooked and filling firm (45-60 minutes). — Hazelnut Cake Three quarters of a pound of ground hazelnuts, weighed after grinding (use the mincer for grinding), 4 eggs, 6 oz. sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder. Beat eggs, add sugar, beat again. Add hazelnuts and baking powder. Bake in square tin, moderate oven, about 40 minutes. Ice with caramel icing-1 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons milk. Boil 3 minutes, take off fire, add vanilla, and beat. o Butter Nut Rolls Quarter pound sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 oz. flour, ‘lb. butter, 1 egg, 3 oz. mashed potatoes. Cream butter and sugar, add egg, work in flour and beking powder, and potato, Meke

mixture into balls, and roll them in beaten egg white. Dip in chopped nuts, and bake in moderate oven. Cherry Nut Slices First make the pastry: % lb. butter, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, % cup sugar, yolk of 1 egg, pinch of salt. Mix as usual and roll % inch thick on greased paper. Spread with raspberry jam, put on % cup crystallised cherries, and 1 cup mixed chopped nuts. Then put on following filling: 2 oz. melted butter, % cup sugar, 1 heaped cup of desiccated coconut, 1 egg, and pinch of salt. Mix well. Bake in slow oven. Cut into squares while still hot. Keep in airtight tin. Banana Nut Cake One and half cups sugar, % cup butter, 1 cup mashed bananas, 2 eggs, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 4 tablespoons sour milk, 42 cup chopped nuts, 134 cups flour. Beat sugar, butter and bananas, add soda, milk and eggs. Sift in flour and salt, beat thoroughly, and add nuts. Bake in moderate oven about 40 minutes. Walnut Raisin Cake Sift -24% cups flour and 1 tablespoon cocoa. Make a hole in the centre and put in % cup milk with 2 small teaspoons baking soda dissolved, 4% cup chopped walnuts, a little salt. In saucepan heat 1 tablespoon golden syrup, ¥2 lb. sugar, % lb. butter, 4% cup milk, 1 cup raisins. Put in and mix and beat. Cook 1 hour or till done. Walnut Cake Cream well 1%. lb. butter and 6 oz. sugar, add 3 eggs one by one, beating well. Then add 2 tablespoons warm milk, a little at a time, alternately with 6 oz. flour sifted with 1 teaspoon spice and 1 teaspoon baking powder, Finally stir in 2 oz. walnuts chopped fairly fine or put through mincer. Moderate oven. Ice when cold and decorate with walnuts. Fruit Nut Marshmallows Half cup cornflour, 2 level teaspoons baking powder, 4% teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 1 breakfast cup vimax, 4% cup brown sugar, 4 oz. butter, milk to mix. Sift flour, baking powder and salt, and mix with sugar. Add melted butter, then beaten egg, and sufficient milk to make a stiff mixture. Roll out thin, put on a cold greased tray. Mark into squares. Bake about 15 minutes, at 450 degrees. When cold, stick two together with a layer of minced sultanas and walnuts blénded with honey. Dissolve 2 teaspoons gelatine in 4% cup of hot water. Let it cool. Add a beaten egg white, some lemon flavouring, and 1. cup icing sugar. Beat and beat till white, thick and creamy. Spread on top of biscuits, and finish with half a walnut.