Stuff Made with Nuts in Honey

I recently got a gift from Bulgaria. It was a little jar of mixed nuts in honey. This is mystery food for me and I've been wondering what to do with it for a while now.

I sat and looked at the jar for quite a long while. Of course, this was largely wasted time, as I thought it was mostly nuts in oil until I tasted one. Hmmm... This totally took my salad and pesto ideas in slightly different direction!

Dessert anyone!



Nectarines with Honey Marinated Nuts

The nectarines weren't as sweet as I'd have liked, so this was a perfect solution.

Serves 4

4 nectarine
4 cardamom pods (optional secret ingredient)
4 tbsp honey
1/2 cup mixed nuts

First, get a jar of nuts and honey from Bulgaria.

If that's not easily done, mix some nuts and honey together yourself. Stir to coat. Cover and leave at room temperature until ready to use.

Optionally, up to a day or two before, mix the nuts and honey in a small jar. This softens the nuts a bit, but it's not critical. You can make a larger jar of nuts and honey and just keep it in the cupboard, too. You might make this recipe, or something else, another time.

Pit and slice the nectarines into bite sized pieces.

Grind the seeds from the cardamom pods and sprinkle over the nectarines. Cardamom is a secret ingredient here. A misunderstood little spice. They won't know it's not there, but if it is, they might wonder why it's so good.

Add the honey to the nectarines and stir to coat. Allow the fruit and honey mixture to sit at room temperature until ready to serve.

Dish the fruit into small bowls, divide the nuts and arrange on top of the fruit. Drizzle with the fruit juice and honey mixture . Serve.

I know what you're thinking... Boy, that would be good on ice cream! You are correct, but don't go taking credit. I thought of it first.


Ice Cream with Apricot Honey Nut Topping

You can use nectarines instead of apricots. Or peaches, too.

I left the cardamom out because I was out. I'm not even sure it would be as worth it with the ice cream, since it's such a subtle taste and you've got a few going on here, already. Feel free to add it and see if it adds a little something.

Serves 4

1 pint vanilla ice cream
4 apricots
4 tbsp honey
1/2 cup mixed nuts

Use the jar of nuts and honey that you should have made during the other recipe. If you didn't, go up there and read the instructions and do what you need to do.

Pit and slice the apricots into bite sized pieces. Add the honey to the apricots and stir to coat. Allow the fruit and honey mixture to sit at room temperature until ready to serve.

Dish the ice cream into dessert bowls.* Spoon the fruit over the ice cream, divide nuts and arrange on top of the fruit. Drizzle with the fruit juice and honey mixture .



















* I own a set of individual springform pans. I took two of these pans and pressed softened ice cream into them and put them back into the freezer. Before I was ready to serve, I cut each in half and put them on four dessert plates, spooning the topping over them. It looked pretty pretty.




































If you're serving it for just two (like for a date?), then you can go for just one plate and two spoons... (spoons not pictured, but since I ate the whole thing myself, it would most likely have been just one spoon.)