real time recipes
Almonds and Walnuts: Bookends to a Celebration Meal
Most families have long-held traditions and expectations around the main dishes served at holiday gatherings, but there’s more room for creativity when it comes to cocktail hour and dessert. This year, I’m incorporating California’s abundant almonds and walnuts as the bookends of my holiday menu, for a local, seasonal start and finish to the meal.
Spiced Cocktail Nuts -Pumpkin Spiced Walnuts and Spicy Berbere Almonds
Spiced nuts keep well for a couple weeks, so you can make these well ahead of your holiday gathering. When guests arrive, they’ll have something to nibble on and enjoy with cocktails before the main...
Cocktail: The Almond Zinger
Amaretto and aged rum are an unexpected yet perfect pairing. The nutty, smooth cocktail is balanced by a tangy Meyer lemon sour mix, then topped with bitters for a little bit of holiday spice.
Dessert: Almond Cakes with Fig Jam Swirl
Almonds have a mild flavor that takes well to all kinds of other ingredients. Blanched and ground into a fine, fluffy flour, they become a great alternative to wheat flour in baked goods. These...
