October 22, 2012

Macadamia Nut Tarts

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , , , |
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Macadamia Nut Tarts

Macadamia Nut Tarts

October 22: National Nut Day

We posted a pecan tassie recipe for National Pecan Day on April 14. Below is a similar recipe using macadamias for National Nut Day today. This was Islander’s brother’s home economics cooking project from the eighth grade (late 1980s!) in Hawaii, which we still make quite often on the mainland for an island-inspired dessert. Although other nuts, such as pecans and walnuts, may be used, add some aloha to these tasty tarts and make them with macadamia nuts instead.

Recipe

(From Kahuna B.)

For the crust

  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup flour

Directions

In a mixing bowl, stir the butter with cream cheese until smooth. Add the flour and blend well to make a dough. Roll into big ball. Divide into 24 smaller balls (about an inch round).

Macadamia Nut Tarts

Flatten each ball into a small disc and shape to fit the wells of an ungreased mini-muffin pan. Continue making all the crusts.

Macadamia Nut Tarts

For the macadamia nut filling

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg. Stir in the vanilla. Mix in the macadamia nuts.

Macadamia Nut Tarts

Fill each crust with the nut mixture. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Carefully remove each macadamia nut tart from the pan with a small knife.

Macadamia Nut Tarts

Notes

  • Substitute macadamias for pecans or walnuts in this tart recipe.
  • Make more delicious desserts with macadamia nuts, such as vanilla-macadamia nut fudge, caramel popcorn with macadamia nuts, chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, triple chocolate macadamia nut kisses cookies and macadamia nut white chocolate chip cookies. Recipes have been previously posted on our blog.
  • Nuts about nuts? Search our blog for more recipes containing macadamias, pecans, walnuts, peanuts or filberts (hazelnuts).
 

April 6, 2012

Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts

Posted by HI Cookery under 04 April | Tags: , , , , , |
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Caramel Popcorn

with Macadamia Nuts

Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts

April 6: National Caramel Popcorn Day

We blogged about Hawaiian hurricane popcorn (in pidgin) before. Now we are posting another popcorn recipe for National Caramel Popcorn Day. Our homemade caramel popcorn with macadamia nuts is inspired by Island Princess brand “popcorn crunch,” which we buy in jars as souvenirs for friends whenever we return to Hawaii to visit Islander’s family. Sometimes her aunties would also gift us with goodies so we can take back the tastes of the tropics to the mainland. Included in their generous care packages are macadamia nuts in chocolate, cookies and popcorn.

We have learned how to make a simple version of caramel popcorn with macadamia nuts on the mainland, too. It is a sweet, sticky snack with a hint of Hawaiian ingredients. On National Caramel Popcorn Day, add some aloha to homemade caramel popcorn with macadamia nuts. Mmmmm…‘onolicious!

Recipe

(Adapted from Candy.About.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 bag microwave popcorn, popped (equals about 10-12 cups popped popcorn)
  • ½ – 1 cup macadamia nuts (whole and halves)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar (we used C&H brand)
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)

Directions

Microwave the popcorn according to the package directions. Pour into a large baking pan. Remove the unpopped kernels. Sprinkle in the macadamia nuts. Keep warm in a preheated oven at 250 degrees F.

Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup and mix until boiling, being careful not to burn the bottom of the pan. Stir in the condensed milk until well blended. Insert a candy thermometer and heat until it reaches 238 degrees.

Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts

Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Pour the caramel cream over the popcorn and macadamia nuts and mix with a spatula until evenly coated. Return to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. It is done when the caramel darkens and bubbles in the pan. Remove from the oven and let the caramelized popcorn and macadamia nuts cool completely. Break apart the pieces. Store in an airtight container or zipper top plastic bag in a cool, dry place.

Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts

Notes

  • Leftover popcorn from the movie tub may be used for this recipe.
  • Mahalo nui loa to Lisa L. for the Hawaiian vanilla from the Big Island.
 

September 4, 2010

Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 09 September | Tags: , , , |
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Macadamia Nut

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Chip Cookies

September 4: National Macadamia Nut Day

On a family trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, we toured the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut farm. We walked along the rows of trees, picked up some of the fallen nuts (which Islander’s brother strung into a shell lei), watched the process of roasting and packaging at the factory and tasted the free samples! The on-site gift shop, many stores throughout the islands and sometimes on the mainland sell delicious macadamia nut products. Islander frequently buys the macadamia nut baking pieces to use in many different recipes, such as macadamia nut white chocolate chip cookies, for our blog posts and especially for National Macadamia Nut Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Mauna Loa)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar (we used C&H brand, granulated white)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (we used C&H brand, golden brown)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company pure vanilla extract)
  • ¾ cup white chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup macadamia nut pieces (we used Mauna Loa brand)

Directions

Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugars with butter. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour and mix well until smooth. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fold in the macadamia nut pieces.  Form one-inch balls from the cookie dough.  Place about two-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown.  Remove from the oven and cool for five minutes before transferring the cookies onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Yield: About 3 dozen cookies.

Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Notes

  • Thanks to Lisa L. for the precious and pricey vanilla, which she bought for us when she visited the Big Island of Hawaii with her family a few summers ago.
  • Search our blog for more posts using macadamia nuts in recipes.