Hey!
So, I have a couple hazelnut trees outside my place, and last year I decided to pick some up off the ground and crack them... Let me tell you, it was some job!
For a while I even took a box of un-cracked hazelnuts to work with me and would spend my whole 1 hour break period, in my car, cracking nuts.. lol .. how embarrassing..
And with all that effort? I only managed too retrieved... umm .. about a cup or two!..
No wonder they are so expensive!
But I think the work payed off. Now I have (a few) farm fresh organic hazelnuts (the best of the best) for free! ..
So anyways, last summer I threw some of them in the freezer (for safe keeping..) Now I'mma make them into something spectacular!
Spiced Hazelnuts:
What you need:
Smoked paprika
Cayenne
Kosher salt
Pinch of sugar
Olive oil
Lime juice
Blanched hazelnuts
What to do:
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, sugar, olive oil and lime juice to make a paste (taste it to get the balance right). Toss with the hazelnuts to coat. Then spread them out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a bit more salt if you want. Roast them until they are all toasty and fragrant, about 25 minutes.