Nutty Crunch Slice Recipes

BUTTERSCOTCH NUT SLICE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F.
• Grease an 8” x 12” x 2” slab pan with butter, then line with non-stick baking paper.
• In a medium sized bowl, beat the sugar and butter together with an electric beater for 3 to 4 minutes, or until creamy in texture and color.
• Next, add the egg and beat until well combined.
• Sift the plain flour, self-rising flour and salt together over the butter mixture.
• Working quickly, use your hands to bring the ingredients together to form a ball.
• Don’t worry if it is still a bit crumbly.
• Place pastry in the prepared pan and press out to cover the base.
• This can be done, easily, by rolling over the pastry with a thick glass, and then using your fingers to maneuver the pastry into the corners and to the edges of the pan.
• Prick the pastry all over with a fork, cover with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• Bake pastry in oven for 12 minutes, or until firm and a light golden color.
• Put to one side and leave to cool.
• Cut macadamia nuts in half, and roughly chop Brazil nuts to a comparable size.
• Place the brown sugar and butter in a medium sized saucepan and cook, stirring, until butter melts and the mixture comes to the boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in cream and flour.
• Mix with a hand-held whisk until smooth.
• Add nuts and stir in well.
• Return pan to medium heat and stir until mixture comes to the boil.
• Pour butterscotch nut mixture over cooled pastry base, and smooth the surface to cover base evenly.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until topping is bubbling and becoming dark around the edges.
• The mixture starts bubbling fairly soon after placing in oven – don’t worry, but check frequently to ensure edges are not burning.
• Cool in pan.
• Turn out onto a board, remove paper and cut into fingers or square pieces.
• Serve warm with ice-cream, or cool with tea or coffee.
• Can be stored in a container in the freezer.

SWEET AND SALTY CRUNCHY NUT BARS

Steps:

• Be still my beating heart! Or perhaps this is not the best thing to say here, given the likelihood of this lusciously over-the-top piece of chocolate excess inducing just such an outcome. I wouldn't want to make this very often, so impossible is it to walk away from with any conviction. I fear it is the kitchen equivalent to crack cocaine.
• Still, as the French say "Everything in moderation, even moderation." This is gloriously intemperate, riotously vulgar. I love it.
• The key is the blaring balance between sweet and salty: it's like several klaxons going off in your head as you eat. And it's strange that while I would normally eschew an all-milk chocolate offering, I prefer it here to the bittersweet-and-milk mixed version. Not that either is bad, and since the jury is matched on this, I feel it only right to alert you to either option. For what it's worth, I like the darker version in the round pan and cut into panforte-type skinny wedges, and my preferred milk chocolate version set in a rectangular pan and cut into chunky, squat slabs (rather as I feel and look like after eating too many of them).
• Line your springform pan with aluminum foil or use a foil pan.
• Break up or chop the chocolate into pieces, and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the butter and syrup, put on a low heat, and melt gently together.
• Tip the peanuts into a bowl, and crush the honeycomb candy with your hands, letting the golden-glinting rubble fall into the nuts.
• Take the melted chocolate mixture off the heat and stir in the peanuts and crushed honeycomb candy, then tip straight into the springform pan or foil pan. Smooth the top of the mixture as much as you can, pressing down with a silicon spatula or vinyl-disposable-gloved hand. Put into the refrigerator for about 4 hours, and once set, cut into slices as desired.
• Make Ahead Note: The bars can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer slices to airtight container, layered with parchment paper, and store in refrigerator. Keeps for 3 to 4 days.

NUTTY CRUNCH SNACK MIX

Steps:

• In medium bowl, measure mini wheats, pretzels, and peanuts; set aside.
• In a large microwave safe bowl, heat margarine, corn syrup, and peanut butter on HIGH for 30 seconds.
• Stir until smooth.
• Add cereal mixture and toss gently until evenly coated.
• Microwave on HIGH a total of 5 minutes, stirring well after 2 and 4 minutes
• (use caution, mixture will be hot).
• Remove cereal mixture from microwave and mix in raisins (use caution, mixture will be hot).
• Spread on waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
• When completely cool, store in airtight container.
• Variations:
• PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY: Prepare as above through step 3.
• Remove from microwave and stir in raisins.
• Sprinkle 1 tbsp dry regular strawberry gelatin over hot cereal mixture, tossing gently.
• Spread on waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
• When completely cooled store in airtight container.
• TROPICAL FRUIT: Prepare as above through step 3, adding 2 tbsp sesame seeds with cereal.
• Remove from microwave.
• Omit raisins and stir in 1 package (7 oz) dried tropical fruit medley chopped fruit.
• Spread on waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
• When completely cooled, store in airtight container.

NUTTY CRUNCH SLICE

Steps:

• Put sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut and nuts in a fry pan and stir continuously over a low heat for 6-8 minutes until coconut is a light golden brown. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Crush biscuits in a food processor until they are a fine crumb.
• Stir crumbs, apricot and ginger into the toasted nuts and seeds.
• Put butter and condensed milk into a saucepan and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Pour over dry ingrediants and mix thoroughly.
• Press mixture into a lightly greased shallow baking tin. Cover and refrigerate for one hour then remove and slice. Cover again and store in the fridge.