Walnuts are an extremely versatile ingredient, tasting great on their own as a snack but also making a great addition to cakes, bakes and other recipes. If you’re looking for something quick to do with walnuts, then here are three simple recipes for you to try. However, quality is important so click here to find out where you can find good quality walnuts.

Frosted walnuts

If there’s one thing more delicious than a walnut on its own, it’s a walnut dipped in sugar! These crunchy and sweet delights make a great topping for cakes and ice cream but are also pretty irresistible on their own and you can make them in under 10 minutes. Here’s what you need to do. 

Ingredients

• 200g of shelled walnuts (400g of in-shell walnuts)
• 250g of granulated sugar

Method

1. If you have an extra few minutes to spare then we recommend toasting your walnuts first to extract their maximum flavour. To do this, simply lay them out in a single layer on a baking tray and bake them in the oven for around 5 minutes at 180 degrees Centigrade or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Give them a quick toss around halfway through toasting and keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn. 
2. Next, add your sugar and 50ml of water to a saucepan and dissolve the sugar over medium heat. 
3. Keep cooking the sugar and water mix in the pan until it just begins to colour and then add your toasted walnuts.
4. Stir the walnuts into the sugar until it crystallizes and then pour the hot mixture out onto a baking tray and leave to cool down and go hard. 
5. Once cold, break the walnuts apart and store in a cool, dry and airtight jar until you’re ready to use them. They’re best eaten fresh. 

Homemade fruit and nut mix

Fruit and nut mix is a healthy, satisfying and nutritious snack that is perfect for taking with you on the go or for enjoying in front of the TV instead of junk food. Easy to make ahead of time and simple to store, if there’s one thing you make this weekend let it be fruit and nut mix - we promise you won’t buy store-bought again. 

Ingredients

• Walnuts
• Any other nuts you want 
• Dried fruit of your choice
• Seeds of your choice 
• Chocolate (optional)

Method

1. Perhaps the best thing about this recipe is how versatile it is, so start out by getting all of your chosen ingredients together. 
2. Next, if you are using nuts, then we highly recommend toasting them in the oven to maximise their flavour and their crunch. To do this, simply place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake them in the oven for approximately 5 minutes at 180 degrees Centigrade or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep a close eye on them so that they don’t burn. 
3. Meanwhile, prepare your dried fruit. If you’re using small fruit such as raisins or goji berries then you don’t need to do anything with them, but if you are using dried mango or larger fruit such as dried fig, then you will want to chop them into bite-size pieces. 
4. If you are using seeds, then these too can often benefit from quick toasting, the easiest way to do this is to add them to a skillet or frying pan and to gently toss them around until they smell nice and fragrant. 
5. Finally, once your nuts and seeds have cooled, add them to a bowl with your dried fruit and chocolate pieces if you are using any. Don’t forget that you can also season you mix with flavours such as cinnamon or even chilli if you like things spicy. 
6. Store in an airtight container and eat while it’s fresh.

A savoury walnut crust 

A walnut crust is a perfect way to elevate your meat dishes, adding a delicious crunchy texture, nutty flavour and of course all of the nutritional benefits of walnuts. Here’s how to make one. 

Ingredients

• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
• 100g of shelled walnuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Start by finely chopping your walnuts until they resemble the texture that you would like your crumb to be. Don’t leave them too big, otherwise, they will fall off during cooking, but having them too fine can take away from their texture. 
2. Next, simply add your chopped walnuts, spices and olive oil into a bowl and combine to form a crumb/paste. 
3. Lastly, spread this on top of your meat (pork works really well) and either bake in the oven or fry carefully in a pan until golden. 

These are just three quick walnut recipes that you can try, though many more are just a Google search away, which one would you like to try first? Find out everything you need to know about walnuts here.