Those unfortunate enough to have nut allergies have this delightful option removed from their reach, but on the other hand, nuts are a godsend to those with gluten intolerance because they can be used to replace flour in many recipes. In fact, many of the recipes in this section are flour-free. I find nuts one of the most delicious ingredients and I can honestly say that I have never met a nut I didn’t like. There are so many to choose from and all have their own specific flavour. In this section you’ll find a selection of nut recipes from several regions, with a few combinations that you may not yet have encountered. Everything is quite straightforward and all you need to know is given in the individual recipes, so I’ll just stick to a few basic pieces of advice here.
It goes without saying that fresh nuts will give the best flavour. Buy your nuts as freshly as you can from a reliable source. Indian and Middle Eastern grocers have a good turnover and often price their products very attractively. Taste before buying if you are given the option. When selecting pistachios, try to get very green ones. They come in a wide colour range, from cream to bright green; the greener ones will really shine through and give an eye-catching effect. See the Ingredients section for information about coconut.
Grind, chop or slice the nuts as directed in the recipe. Grinding is best done in a food processor and if you add a small amount of the sugar or flour from the recipe, you will be able to grind finer and drier as some of the oil will be absorbed. If you can buy good-quality blanched ground almonds, do so. They are generally finer than you can achieve at home, with a nice loose texture. If you use only small quantities of walnuts at a time, buy them in their shells and shell as needed. Larger amounts can be bought shelled, preferably in halves. Look for French walnuts. They are more expensive than Chinese or Indian nuts, but the flavour is far better.
Make sure that your equipment is scrupulously fat-free for the recipes that use egg whites. Any trace of fat or egg yolk will have an adverse affect. Baking parchment will ensure easy release of the baked items.
These flat and chewy coconut macaroons are excellent on their own, but dipping the bases in dark chocolate makes them quite irresistible.
Makes 13
2 egg whites
100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 g/5½ oz/1⅔ cups fine desiccated coconut
⅛ tsp salt
about 100 g/3½ oz/3½ squares dark chocolate, melted, optional
Preheat the oven to 160°C/315°F/Gas Mark 2–3. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Whisk the egg whites in a scrupulously clean bowl until foaming. Pour in the sugar while still whisking. Add the vanilla and keep on whisking until soft peaks hold their shape when you pull out the whisk.
Fold in the coconut and salt and use 2 dessertspoons to shape neat little piles on the baking parchment. Leave enough space in between for spreading. Bake for about 20 minutes until just cooked through and light gold on the outside. They will still be soft to the touch but will firm up as they cool. Overbaking will dry them out. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in a jar or tin or freeze for later.
If you are using the melted dark chocolate, spread some on the base of each cooled macaroon and put it on a sheet of baking parchment to harden. Once the chocolate has set properly, the baking parchment can be peeled off.
Homemade Dutch coconut macaroons are quick and simple. They are softer on the inside than the chewier and flatter ones with a cracked surface that commercial bakers tend to make. My mother-in-law had quite a sweet tooth and often whipped up a batch of these to supplement the cakes and tarts she baked every week. Production peaked at Passover, as they contain no flour. She always made a depression in the centre of each one as she laid it to rest on its bed of wafer paper and this allowed it to bake more evenly and faster, producing a succulent mouthful. Once baked, they can be dressed up by pouring melted chocolate or ganache into the depressions, or by dipping the bases into melted chocolate, but they are absolutely delicious as they are.
Makes 16
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
125 g/4½ oz/½ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
150 g/5½ oz/1⅔ cups fine desiccated coconut
¼ tsp saltPreheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Whisk the eggs with the vanilla in a large bowl. Add the sugar, coconut and salt and stir well with a fork to moisten the coconut. Leave to stand for 20–30 minutes to allow the coconut to re-hydrate a little.
Scoop up about 1½ tablespoons of the mixture and press between your palms to compact it into a rough ball. Place on the baking sheet and use your thumb to make a depression in the centre of each macaroon. The outer edges will crack slightly; simply press with your fingers to neaten.
Bake for 12–15 minutes until the tops are tinged with gold and the mixture is cooked through. Overbaking will dry them out. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store for a few days in a jar or tin, or freeze as soon as they are cool.
These delicious cookies are made for special occasions in many Middle Eastern countries. Economical versions rely more heavily on flour for body, but the basic ingredients remain similar while methods for mixing and shaping may vary: the sesame seeds may be toasted and then mixed with honey or not; the pistachios may be finely ground or chopped; the biscuits may be coated with pistachio on one side and sesame on the other. However they are made, they remain a treat to be savoured at the end of a meal or to accompany a cup of tea or coffee.
Makes about 24
200 g/7 oz/1½/⅓ cups pistachios, finely ground
50 g/1¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup plain flour
⅛ tsp salt
125 g/4½ oz/½ cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar
50 g/1¾ oz/3½ tbsp butter, melted
4 tbsp beaten egg (reserve the rest)
1 tbsp water
about 4 tbsp sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Mix all of the ingredients, except the reserved egg, 1 tbsp water and sesame seeds, to form a dough. If you have just used a food processor to grind the pistachios, simply add the dry ingredients and pulse to mix, then turn into a bowl and add the butter and egg. Shape into 24 even-sized balls.
On a deep plate, beat the 1 tbsp water into the reserved egg. Scatter 1 tbsp of the sesame seeds onto another plate. If you put it all on the plate at the same time, you will end up using a lot more. Roll each ball in the egg, then in the sesame seeds and arrange on the baking sheet. Keep on adding more sesame seeds as needed.
Flatten each ball with your palm to a diameter of about 4.5 cm/1½ in and a thickness of 1.5 cm/⅝ in. Bake for 12–15 minutes. They should be slightly chewy, so do not overbake them. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or freeze for later.
Nutty confections are always in great demand in North Africa. Those who cannot afford more expensive kinds of nuts content themselves with sesame seeds and peanuts, or use flour-based doughs and a restrained amount of pistachios, almonds or walnuts. The height of luxury is to be able to eat a few of the delicious morsels that consist mainly of nuts, such as these walnut macaroons. They are quick and easy if you use a food processor. Use the freshest walnuts you can find, as even a hint of staleness or bitterness will spoil the flavour.
Makes 16
175 g/6 oz/1¾ cups walnuts
1 tbsp flour or potato starch
⅓ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster sugar
1 beaten egg, as needed few tbsp icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Put the walnuts, flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until the nuts are very fine. Add the caster sugar and pulse for a few seconds to mix. Transfer to a bowl and knead in enough egg to make a softly malleable mixture. You will need about three-quarters of it. Shape into 16 balls.
Roll the balls thoroughly in the icing sugar and arrange on the baking sheet, spaced well apart. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 13 minutes. The tops will crack as they bake and they will still feel soft to the touch when they are done. They should be slightly chewy in the centre, so do not overbake them. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or freeze for later.
These are not the slick and trendy French ‘macarons’ that are one of the latest fads, but rather the more homely, chewy, slightly crackled ones that are very easy to make. They can be eaten as they are or sandwiched with a filling of your choice such as ganache or buttercream and also make an excellent component for trifles and other creamy desserts.
Makes about 36
100 g/3½ oz/⅔ cup blanched almonds, finely ground
215 g/7¼ oz/generous 1 cup granulated sugar
55 g/2 oz egg white
Note that this recipe relies on correct weighing, particularly of the egg whites. If it is too wet, it will spread more than it should and the resulting macaroons will be thin and unattractive.
Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
Mix all of the ingredients together to a smooth, stiff paste. This will take about 2 minutes using a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or 3 minutes with a vigorous hand and a wooden spoon.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 16 mm/⅝ in plain nozzle and pipe neat little heaps onto the baking sheets. Space well apart as the macaroons will spread while baking. If you haven’t got a 16 mm/⅝ in or similar sized nozzle you can spoon little heaps onto the sheet, or make balls, but the result won’t be as neat as the piped ones. Moisten your fingertips and use them to neaten the pointed tops.
Bake for about 10 minutes until light golden brown. Be careful not to overcook them, or you will lose the chewiness. They will have spread considerably and the tops will be slightly crackled. Carefully remove the macaroons from the baking sheets and leave to cool on wire racks.
The cooled macaroons will be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Store in an airtight container. They will stay chewy for a week or so, but will start to dry out and get brittle after that, which some people seem to like too. If, like me, you are a fan of chewiness, keep most of the surplus stored in the freezer and thaw at room temperature.
Simple to make, these almond cookies are deliciously chewy and are good eaten on their own or used as an accompaniment to dessert. If you sandwich them with a filling made of equal quantities of dark chocolate and cream, they will be irresistible.
Makes 16
150 g/5½ oz/1 cup blanched almonds, finely ground
150 g/5½ oz/¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
50 g/1¾ oz/½ cup (7–8 tbsp) flaked almonds
For the filling (optional)
125 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup cream (single or double)
125 g/4½ oz/4½ squares dark chocolate, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Mix the ground almonds, sugar and 3 tbsp of the beaten egg together and knead lightly to make a malleable mixture.
Put the reserved beaten egg in a small bowl and scatter the flaked almonds onto a plate.
Divide the almond mixture into 16 portions and roll each into a ball between your palms. Flatten each ball to a diameter of about 5 cm/2 in and dip on both sides into the egg, then press both sides into the flaked almonds and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake in the centre of the oven for 12–15 minutes. The biscuits will be done as soon as the almonds and sides start to get golden brown. They should be slightly chewy, so do not overbake them. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or freeze for later.
All you need to do for the filling, if you wish, is to heat the cream to boiling point, then stir in the finely chopped dark chocolate and wait for it to reach a spreading consistency. Spread onto half of the cooled biscuits and top with the rest.
Rose water lends a delicate perfume to these almond balls, but if you are not fond of the flavour of roses, substitute water. They make a lovely addition to a teatime or dessert selection and foil cases can be used for an attractive presentation.
Makes 16
200 g/7 oz/1⅓ cups blanched almonds, very finely ground
100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster sugar
2 egg yolks
about 2 tbsp rose water, or as needed
1 egg white
50 g/1¾ oz/½ cup flaked almonds, crumbled onto a plate
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Put the ground almonds, caster sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and add enough rose water to make a malleable paste that is not too soft. Knead well and divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece between your palms into a ball.
Whisk the egg white lightly in a deep plate to loosen it a little. Dip the balls thoroughly in the egg white, then roll them around in the crumbled almonds to coat.
Arrange on the baking sheet and leave to rest for about 10 minutes. Bake for 12–15 minutes. The almonds should be lightly tinged with gold, and overbaking will make them chewy instead of tender. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container. They will be quite yielding when fresh, but the texture will become firmer after a day or two.
Almond paste is simple to make and this recipe is for paste that is to be baked; it is not suitable for covering cakes. When baked, it gives a moister result than marzipan, which is firmer and closer in texture. It keeps quite well and is a great standby to have in the refrigerator, as you can whip up cookies in minutes (see Pine Nut Clusters and Quick Almond Lozenges) or add it to other baked desserts. The type of sugar you use will be reflected in the texture and granulated or caster sugar will give the best results in baking. Granulated sugar provides a slightly looser and coarser texture than caster sugar. Icing sugar makes the paste too compact. If you are making a big batch, it is best to leave it neutral or to add just a little lemon zest, but use it cautiously because you don’t want it to dominate. Flavourings such as orange zest, vanilla and fragrant flower waters can be added prior to baking.
Makes about 300 g/10½ oz
150 g/5½ oz/1⅓ cups finely ground blanched almonds
150 g/5½ oz/¾ cup granulated or caster sugar
pinch of grated lemon zest (preferably organic) enough beaten egg to bind
Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time and knead until it becomes a firm but malleable mixture. It responds well to kneading, especially once a little of the almond oil starts to dissolve some of the sugar. Do not add too much egg at this stage; it can be added to the matured paste in the correct quantity as described in the recipe you use.
Shape the paste into a block, wrap it well in several layers of clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
It will keep for at least a fortnight. Use as needed.
Pine nuts are a popular ingredient in sweet and savoury Mediterranean cooking, and oven baking or light toasting brings out their flavour and delicate crispness. They are delicious sprinkled over salads and rice dishes or used in cookies such as these. As this recipe is so easy to make once you have the almond paste to hand, you can halve or double it as the mood takes you. They are a good accompaniment to tea and coffee any time of the day and are also a very pleasant way to end a meal.
Makes 16
300 g/10½ oz almond paste
pinch of orange zest (optional)
1½ tbsp beaten egg, or as needed
125 g/4½ oz/scant 1 cup untoasted pine nuts
Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Crumble the almond paste into a bowl. Grate the orange zest over it, if using. Add enough beaten egg to make a softly malleable paste. Shape the paste into 16 balls.
Scatter the pine nuts onto a plate and roll each ball around to coat thoroughly with the nuts, pressing a few into bald spots with your fingers. Be sure to embed them well, or they will fall off later. Neaten the shape of the balls, place them on the baking sheet and flatten the tops slightly. Bake for about 15 minutes until the nuts are light golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container. The pine nuts soften quickly, so they are best eaten within a day or two.
These Dutch lozenges are ridiculously simple to make and all you need is a quantity of prepared almond paste, an egg yolk, some sugar and a few minutes of time.
Makes 20 lozenges
300 g/10½ oz almond paste
1 egg yolk
few drops of water, if needed
about 3 tbsp granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Crumble the almond paste into a bowl. Add the egg yolk and knead thoroughly to a firmly malleable consistency, adding a few drops of water if necessary. Divide into 2 portions.
Scatter the sugar onto your work surface or a silicone mat if you have one. Roll one portion of the almond paste back and forth in the sugar until you have a sausage about 20 cm/8 in long. Repeat with the second portion.
Cut each sausage into 2-cm/½-in thick rounds, neaten the shape and press the cut sides lightly into the sugar. Arrange the lozenges on the baking sheet and bake for 8–10 minutes just until the edges are golden brown. The bases will caramelise nicely.
Remove immediately from the baking sheet and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Every year just before Christmas, a delivery van stops and deposits an enormous box on our doorstep. In it reposes a hamper brimming with delicious treats sent by our Spanish friends Nuria and Josep: an astounding assortment of ‘turrones’ and brittles, Toledo marzipan, fine wines and spirits, wonderfully flavoured Catalan olive oil and much more. Last year there was a box of ‘marquesas’, small almond cakes with a texture somewhere between marzipan and cake. They are quick and easy to make at home and the potato starch option makes them suitable for a gluten-free diet. If you make them a day or two in advance, they will be even more succulent. Don’t stop at almonds. See below for variations.
Makes 12
225 g/8 oz/1½ cups blanched almonds, finely ground
175 g/6 oz/scant 1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornflour or potato starch
3 eggs
grated zest of ⅓ of a lemon (preferably organic) icing sugar, for dusting
OR melted dark chocolate
OR icing, to decorate (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
These cakes are usually baked in small square or rectangular paper cases. Using a 20-cm/8-in square tin with loose paper cases will give an angular, artisan effect. If you prefer neatly uniform round cakes, use a 12-hole muffin tin to hold the cases. For the square tin, put 9 of the empty cases in the tin and leave 3 out. Fill them all, then add the 3 to the tin to make 4 rows of 3, and tweak the papers here and there to create angular cakes.
If you have ground your own almonds in a food processor, leave them there and add the remaining ingredients. Pulse for about a minute, then divide the batter among the cases. If using a heavy-duty electric mixer or a hand whisk, beat the ingredients together vigorously for about 2 minutes, then transfer the batter to the cases.
Bake for 18–20 minutes in the muffin tin (a little longer in the square tin). The tops will barely colour; a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake should come out clean. Don’t overbake; the insides should be just cooked through to retain a soft texture.
Dust the cakes with icing sugar just before serving. Alternatively, drizzle with melted chocolate or some thin icing.
Try them with walnuts, pistachios or hazelnuts. If using walnuts, I recommend a proportion of two parts walnuts to one part almonds, with some cinnamon replacing the lemon zest. Use the full amount of pistachios or replace a third with almonds for a milder flavour for those who find pure pistachios overpowering. Hazelnuts can be used on their own. Untoasted hazelnuts will taste sweeter and light toasting will bring out a little more nuttiness.
Even before I set foot in the region, Cádiz city held a peculiar attraction for me. Having been born and brought up in the New World, I found it quite thrilling to stand by the sea and imagine Columbus setting sail with the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria (as told in our history books at school) and ending up stumbling upon the West Indies. It was a close-run thing, but when I did explore the region the sweets of Medina Sidonia very nearly outdid Cádiz and Columbus. ‘Amarguillos’ are a particular speciality of the town and are kept tender with a little mashed sweet or regular potato. They are very simple and pure in flavour and will melt in the mouth if left to mature for a day or two. If you like, you can add a drop or two of almond extract or a small pinch of lemon or orange zest. In the past a few bitter almonds were added, accounting for the name: ‘amargo’ means ‘bitter’.
Makes 16
100 g/3½ oz boiled potato, preferably fresh and floury
1 medium egg
200 g/7 oz/1¾ cups icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
250 g/9 oz/1⅔ cups blanched almonds, finely ground
2 tbsp cornflour
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Mash the boiled potato with a ricer or mash well with a fork and pass it through a sieve. It should be completely lump-free, or you will have hard bits in the finished product.
Beat the egg and reserve about 2 tsp. Stir the rest into the potato, add the icing sugar and whisk until smooth.
Mix the ground almonds with the cornflour and add to the mixture. Fold it in well with a spatula so that you get something that looks like very soft almond paste. Add the rest of the egg as needed.
Use 2 dessertspoons to make 16 well-spaced mounds on the baking sheet. Moisten your fingers and shape each mound into a fairly neat disc, about 5 cm/2 in in diameter and 2 cm/½ in high. It is easiest if you flatten the top first with outstretched fingers and then pat the sides into shape, moistening your fingers as necessary.
Bake for 12–15 minutes until set. They should hold their shape quite well. The bottoms will be golden brown, but the tops will remain pale. Remove the sheet from the oven and dust liberally with icing sugar. As soon as they can be handled, place them on a wire rack to cool.
When cool, wrap each one individually in a square of greaseproof paper and store in a glass jar for a pretty effect. Leave to mature for a day or so before eating. They will keep for more than a week in a cool, dry place.
Flavoured with orange flower water and coated with sesame seeds, these sticks will bring a very North African touch to your table. The mixture is basically the same as for the Almond and Rose Water Balls, but changing the flavouring and shape produces a very different article.
200 g/7 oz/1⅓ cups blanched almonds, very finely ground
100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster sugar
2 egg yolks
about 2 tbsp orange flower water, or as needed
1 egg white
a few tablespoons of sesame seeds, untoasted or lightly toasted
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Put the ground almonds, caster sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and add enough orange flower water to make a malleable paste that is not too soft. Knead well and divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a sausage, about 7 cm/2½ in long with slightly tapering ends.
Whisk the egg white lightly in a deep plate to loosen it a little. Scatter the sesame seeds onto another plate. Dip the sticks thoroughly in the egg white, then roll them around in the sesame seeds to coat.
Arrange the sticks on the baking sheet and leave to rest for about 10 minutes. Bake for 12–15 minutes. Overbaking will make them chewy instead of tender. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container. They will be quite yielding when fresh, but the texture will become firmer after a day or two.
