Roasted Macadamia Nuts

Funny, that I’m posting a recipe for something that I can not physically eat! I am allergic to macadamia nuts, not a life-threatening allergy that can cause an anaphylactic shock, but nevertheless, an allergy that causes my throat and mouth to get itchy and my lips to swell up. Fortunately, this reaction only occurs with three types of nuts: macadamias, hazelnuts and brazils nuts. So I can still eat other nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios etc.  which is amazing as they are easiest snack and so useful in gluten/dairy free cooking.

Back to the macadamias – I was given these as a gift by some friends when I visited Australia with my family at Christmas. I decided to roast them with some spices and some orange extract for my Dad as a sugar-free snack to satisfy his sweet tooth and it really works. The subtle sweetness of the orange and vanilla, the nutty crunch and the high fat content make it a really satisfying alternative to sugar. They are also a rich source of vitamin A, iron and B vitamins.

Roasted Macadamia nuts – No added sugar or salt

• 1kg Macadamia nuts
• 1 tbsp coconut oil/olive oil
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp pure ground vanilla (I use this one)
• 1 tsp orange extract (alcohol free and oil based)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. Toss the macadamia nuts with the oil, nutmeg, vanilla and orange extract until evenly coated.
3. Spread the nuts out in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast in the oven for 17-20* minutes (depending on the size of the nuts) until golden brown and smelling toasty.
4. Store in an airtight jar in a cool place.

*These macadamia are massive so they took 20 minutes in the oven, however most macadamia I’ve seen are smaller so will probably require less time in the oven.

With Love, Spice and Smile,

Thaïs