Dried Fruit And Nuts Recipes

NUT AND FRUIT BREAD

Steps:

• Grease an 8 x 5 inch loaf tin thoroughly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a small bowl, beat the egg well. Mix in milk and melted butter or shortening.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Add sugar, nuts, raisins and orange rind; mix well. Blend egg mixture into fruit and nut mixture until flour is just moistened. Turn batter into greased loaf tin, and allow to stand for 20 minutes.
• Place pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Turn bread out on wire rack, and cool for several hours before slicing.

BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH DRIED FRUITS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place the rice in a medium bowl and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Using your hands, gently swish the grains to release any excess starch. Carefully pour off the water, leaving the rice in the bowl. Repeat four to five times, until the water runs almost clear. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain the water from rice. Place the strainer over a bowl and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add the rice to the pot, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add the water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Off the heat, remove the lid and sprinkle the dried fruit over the rice (do not mix in). Place the lid over the pot and let stand for 10 minutes. Toss in the toasted almonds, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.

MIXED FRUIT-AND-NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until smooth. Add sugars, and mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time until combined; mix in vanilla.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in coconut, apricots, dates, macadamias, and pistachios.
• Drop batter, 2 heaping tablespoons at a time, onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer cookies on parchment paper to a wire rack to cool completely.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT GRANOLA BAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square pan with cooking spray. Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds evenly on a large baking sheet. Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, stir one halfway through, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in puffed cereal, all the dried fruits until well mixed. Add almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Right away pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until all the dried spots are moistened. Arrange the mixture into the prepared square pan. Coat your hands lightly with cooking spray and press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer. Refrigerate until firm, at least half an hour. Cut into bars; bigger or small, square or rectangular depend on your own interest.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of one large 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or 2 smaller 8 x 4 loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt, baking powder and baking soda to combine. Add the brown sugar, all the dried fruit, and nuts and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract until light. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the fruits and nuts are coated with batter. Scrape into the prepared pan (pans).
• Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the batter clinging to the fruit seems set, about 1 hour for smaller loaves, 10-15 minutes longer for a large loaf. Tent loosely with foil if the cake appears to be browning too much. Cook completely in the pan(s) on a rack.
• When completely cool, remove the cake from the pan(s). The cake keeps, wrapped airtight in foil or plastic wrap, for several weeks at room temperature or at least 3 months in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for at least 6 months.
• To serve, cut into thin slices with a sharp heavy knife.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT BITES

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse dried fruit; transfer to a bowl.
• Pulse nuts and seeds until finely chopped and add to dried fruit with a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
• Knead together and form 1-inch balls; roll each ball in sesame seeds.

DRIED NUT AND FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-cup souffle dish or a 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan. Line with brown paper; grease paper.
• Combine walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, dates, apricots, prunes, candied fruits, raisins and cherries in large bowl.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt over nuts and fruits. Toss lightly until well coated.
• Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in a medium-size bowl with electric mixer until fluffy and light. Pour over nut mixture. Stir gently to combine.
• Fill prepared dish or pan, pressing cake mixture firmly so it will hold its shape after baking.
• Bake for one hour and 45 minutes. (If fruits are browning too quickly, cover with buttered foil). Remove cake to wire rack.
• Spoon 1/4 cup brandy over cake. Let stand one hour. Invert; peel off paper; turn right side up; let stand on wire rack until cooled completely. Place wire rack in shallow pan; spoon remaining 1/2 cup brandy over cake.
• To store: Wrap in cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy. Wrap in heavy duty foil or store in tightly covered container. If cheesecloth dries out, dip in brandy and rewrap cake.

ORZO WITH DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS

Steps:

• Cook 2 cups orzo in 4 cups chicken broth so that pasta absorbs flavor of broth. Transfer to a bowl. Chop apricots and fold into orzo. Melt 4 tablespoons butter until golden and add to orzo; season with salt and pepper.
• Reheat, covered in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until hot. To create garnish: saute almonds in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the stuffing when it comes out of the oven.

CHUNKY FRUIT 'N' NUT FUDGE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine cherries and cranberries. Add enough warm water to cover; set aside. Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil and grease the foil with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside. , In a large heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter. Stir in the milk, chips and cream. Cook and stir over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth and blended (mixture will first appear separated, but continue stirring until fully blended). Remove from the heat; stir in marshmallow creme and extract. , Drain cherries and cranberries; pat dry with paper towels. Stir the fruit, cashews and chocolate chunks into chocolate mixture. Spread into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature until set., Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares.

HONEY-ROASTED NUTS AND FRUIT

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and coat with cooking spray.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Stir in honey and cook 2 minutes or until mixture bubbles around edges of pan.
• Add nuts and next 5 ingredients, and cook over medium heat until nuts are golden, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in raisins.
• Immediately spread onto prepared baking sheet; cool completely.
• Note: Mine were still a bit sticky after they cooled, so I just stored them in the refrigerator.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spray the loaf pans (either one 9-by-5-inch 8-cup loaf pan or two 8-by-4-inch 4-cup loaf pans) with vegetable oil spray or line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add the brown sugar, all the dried fruit, and the nuts, and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla until light. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the fruits and nuts are coated with batter. Scrape into the prepared pans.
• Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the batter clinging to the fruit seems set, about 1 hour for smaller loaves, 10 to 15 minutes longer for a large loaf. Tent loosely with foil if the cake appears to be browning too much. Cool completely in the pans on a rack.
• When completely cool, remove the cake from the pans.
• To serve, cut into thin slices with a sharp heavy knife.

QUINOA SALAD WITH DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS

Steps:

• Bring the quinoa, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Once done, scrape into a large bowl, and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Stir in the green onions, celery, raisins, cayenne pepper, vegetable oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and sesame oil. Allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Stir in the cilantro and pecans before serving.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS

Steps:

• Combine nuts and fruit.