Christmas is on Tuesday and you must be fretting over what special to cook on the day, something different from last year’s delicacies. So why not give old favourites a fresh festive value addition with California Walnuts. Consisting of a beautiful crunch, creamy taste and loads of nutrition, walnuts, a powerhouse of nutrients, are a perfect ingredient to make your holiday celebrations special. So this Christmas, celebrity Chef Sabyasachi Gorai curates few classic recipes with the added crunch of walnuts that you can relish with your family and friends!
Flourless Cake With Poached Pears
Ingredients
For the cake
Butter for greasing
350g California walnuts
Zest of 1 lemon
4 eggs
225g of golden caster sugar
1 tablespoon of icing sugar
For the poached pears
4 ripe conference pears
8 cardamom pods
Pinch of saffron
Juice of 1 lemon
150g caster sugar
250ml of water
Greek yogurt to serve
Direction
Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease and line the base of a 9-inch cake tin with a circle of baking parchment. Place the walnuts into a food processor and blitz until you have flour like consistency.
Separate the eggs in two mixing bowls. Whisk the egg yolks, lemon zest and caster sugar with an electric hand whisk until pale and creamy. Then whisk the egg white to stiff peaks. Mix the blended walnuts into the egg yolks and then fold in the egg whites. Spoon the cake mixture into your prepared cake tin, place on the middle shelves of the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes (or until cooked in the centre and risen).
Meanwhile, peel the pears and cut in half, scooping out the core with a melon baller or teaspoon and bruise the cardamom pods.
Add the peeled pears, saffron, cardamom pods, lemon juice, caster sugar and water to a medium sized saucepan over a low heat and poach the pears for 15-20 minutes, or until soft and infused.
Slice the cake into eight and serve each slice with a poached pear on the side and a blob of Greek yogurt or creme fraiche.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Ingredients
260 g of roasted and crushed
pumpkin
250 g of butter
3 large eggs
250 g of sugar
150 g of flour
125 g of ground California
Walnuts
1 teaspoon and 1/2 of baking
powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
A pinch of salt
Zest of a lemon
60 g of chopped California
Walnuts
For the glazed
200g of glass sugar
3 tablespoons of semi-skimmed
milk
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Direction
Preheat the oven to 170º C, grease a bundt cake mold and set aside. In a bowl, sift the flour, ground walnuts, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the lemon zest and reserve. In another large bowl, whisk the sugar with butter until the mixture froths. Incorporate the eggs one by one. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Begin to include the flour mixture using a tablespoon and mix gently. Fill the mould and bake for about 40-50 minutes. Check if it’s cooked thoroughly or leave it in for a little longer. Wait 10 minutes before unmoulding and let it cool completely. Mix all the ingredients of the glaze until obtaining a uniform mixture and pour over the cake. Finish with the chopped walnuts on top.
Cinnamon Zucchini
Cake with Cream
Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup of canola oil
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3-1/2 cups of freshly
grated zucchini
1 cup of California walnuts,
chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces of cream cheese,
softened
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of heavy whipping
cream
3 cups of powdered sugar
Direction
Preheat oven to 176°C. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat together both types of sugar, eggs and oil until well combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Stir in zucchini and walnuts.
Pour batter evenly in pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes clean. Cool completely. For the cream cheese frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream and beat until combined. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Frost the cooled cake and serve immediately.
Buttermilk Coffee Cake with Orange Essence
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 cup of light brown sugar
¾ cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon, divided
½ teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of freshly grated
orange zest
¾ cup of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of buttermilk
1 egg; 1 cup of chopped
California Walnuts
Direction
Preheat oven to 176°C. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugars, one teaspoon of cinnamon, salt and ginger. Stir in orange zest and oil until mixture is moist. Reserve ¾ cup of the flour mixture in a small bowl, set aside (save for topping). Stir baking powder and baking soda into main flour mixture. Beat together buttermilk and egg. Add to cake batter and mix until just combined (do not over mix). Pour batter into a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan.
Combine reserved flour mixture with walnuts and remaining cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over cake batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes until centre springs back or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in middle. Cool completely before serving.
Chicken in California Walnut Sauce with Saute Red Rice and Bimi
Ingredients
800g skinless chicken cut into
pieces
1 large onion
6 garlic cloves
1 glass of Montilla wine
4 strands of saffron
250ml chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 fresh chillies
40 ml extra virgin olive oil
60g of California Walnuts
A pinch of salt
Black pepper
200g of bimi
200g of red rice
Direction
Boil the red rice in salted water for 40 minutes. Then remove and drain. Wash the bimi and cut each piece into two. Boil in salt water for two minutes, remove and drain. Season the chicken pieces and brown in a pan with two tablespoons of olive oil. Take out and set aside. Peel and chop the garlic and onion. Cut the chili into thin slices. Crush the walnuts until they turn into fine powder. In the same casserole, saute the onion and chopped garlic over medium heat for five minutes, add the saffron and stir. Add the golden
chicken pieces. Add the wine, chicken broth and bay leaves, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the slices of chilli and walnut powder. Mix well and cook for 45 more minutes. Let it stand for 15 minutes before serving. Saute the red rice with the bimi in a very hot pan with olive oil, season and serve with the hot chicken stew.
Carrot Cake Bliss Balls
Ingredients
200g of California Walnuts,
toasted
80g of oats
50g of sunflower seeds
2 heaped teaspoons of ground
ginger
1 heaped teaspoon of ground
turmeric
Zest and juice of half an orange
130g of grated carrot
200g of dates
60g of desiccated coconut
Direction
Place the California Walnuts, oats, sunflower seeds, ginger, turmeric and orange zest into a food processor and pulse until you have a fine meal-like consistency. Add the carrot and dates and whizz again. Add in a little of the orange juice and blitz again, adding a little more of juice if needed until the mixture just comes together. Roll the mixture into 25 balls. Place the coconut onto a plate or tray and roll the balls to coat. Chill in the fridge or keep in your freezer until needed.
Smoky California Walnut, Parsnip and Pear Soup
Ingredients
For the soup
500g parsnip, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 sprigs of thyme
Salt and pepper
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
2 pears, peeled, cored and roughly
chopped
800ml of vegetable stock
600ml of milk
75g of California Walnuts, ground
in the food processor
For the smoky walnuts
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
50g of California Walnuts
1 tablespoon of chopped chives
and a drizzle of walnut oil to
garnish
Direction
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the parsnips onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over the thyme, season and toss everything together. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, make the smoky California Walnuts. Whisk together the maple syrup, paprika and soy sauce and drizzle over 50g of California Walnuts, tossing to coat. Place onto a small baking tray and roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Leave to cool before chopping roughly. Next, place the onion and butter into a large saucepan over a medium heat and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the pear and continue cooking for a further 8-10 minutes. Add the parsnip and vegetable stock to the saucepan and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes with the lid on. Add the milk and blitz until smooth and silky. Stir in the ground walnuts and adjust the seasoning to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls, then sprinkle with the smoky California walnuts and chopped chives, adding a final drizzle of walnut oil to serve.