7 Holiday Spiced Nuts Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the most popular nuts at Christmas? ›

Walnuts, with their rich, buttery flavour, are a must-have. Hazelnuts, too, are popular, bringing a sweet, mellow taste that's perfect for festive recipes. Almonds add a delightful crunch to our Christmas cakes, while Brazil nuts offer a decadent treat, especially when covered in chocolate!

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to three weeks. These nuts will get sticky and clump together if they are left in areas that are too warm or humid. Can you freeze spiced nuts? Spiced nuts freeze well and thaw quickly, so keep some on hand for last minute gatherings.

For special occasions like showers or birthday parties, you can serve nuts in tiny mason jars. Not only does this alleviate contamination concerns, but it also makes for easier snacking. Feel free to customize the jars with the date of the celebration and a ribbon.

Hazelnuts (and nuts in general) were ancient symbols of good luck and fertility which were given new Christian meanings and remain a common part of Christmas traditions even today. Physically characterized by three distinct parts, nuts were interpreted as a sign of the Trinity.

Pistachio – Pistachios are the Christmas Nut. In my home growing up, the only time we ever saw the pistachio was at Christmas time. It was always exciting to see the special treat, and the many sweet and delightful combinations of treats made with them. They are said to bring good luck to the holiday.

If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove. To fix them, place the nuts back into the skillet and cook a bit longer.

To get the spices to stick to the nuts, use egg whites, butter, coconut oil, olive oil or blanch the nuts in boiling water. Some recipes call for nuts to be fried in oil prior to seasoning, but this adds unnecessary fat – you can make them just a delicious without all the extra calories.

Whole raw nuts can be stored in the freezer for up to one year. Chopped nuts, ground nuts, or nut flours — all of which contain more surface area for oxidation — are quicker to spoil and should only be stored for up to six months.

Dry, one-seeded fruits, nuts are eaten with the fingers. At the table, though, a nut spoon is provided to spoon nuts from bowl to plate. Good table manners call for a spoon to be provided with finger foods served from a common bowl.

Best of all, because it was easy and we did it together: we cracked almonds, Brazil nuts, filberts, walnuts, and pecans in shells. While reminiscing about our favorite memories from the past year, we would laugh at funny stories and sing along to old holiday tunes playing softly on the radio while we did this work.

How do you make nuts more enjoyable? ›

Sprinkle toasted walnuts or nutty granola on top of yogurt. Add toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds as a salad topper. Make your own trail mix: 1 cup mixed nuts and seeds, 1 cup dried fruits + a handful of chocolate chips. Blend a dollop of nut butter into your favorite smoothie.

They're Said to Represent a Gift of Gold from Saint Nicholas

The father eventually found out who the gift giver was and was so moved he told everyone in town about Nicholas. This was not only the origin of Santa Claus but also one reason for oranges—which represent bags of gold—in our stockings.

Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables. Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham, are also used.

These include common, widely known types of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, and butternuts, among others. Some lesser-known nuts are also edible, such as saba nuts, paradise nuts, pili nuts, baru nuts, mongongo nuts, and more.

Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts.

But where did the tradition of nuts and nutcrackers at Christmas come from? Well, it depends on who you ask! Many people from European countries will tell you that it's because Saint Nicholas brings nuts and oranges and other small treats on his feast day on December 5th or 6th.

Some of the healthiest nuts include Brazil nuts, pistachios, cashews, and almonds. There are many options to enjoy this nutritional treat, but be sure to enjoy them in moderation.