Caramelised Nuts

GLUTEN FREE, GRAIN FREE, DAIRY FREE, SOY FREE, EGG FREE, PALEO

Christmas festivities are in full swing and this morning we had carols to sing and a little tree to decorate.  Miss 2 had a ball!   She danced and sang to her hearts content!  This year she had her own unique way of arranging the ornaments and I promise I’ve only moved a couple… having a toddler is doing wonders for my perfectionism!  We then tucked into some of these freshly made caramelised nuts, still toasty warm…YUM!

Every Christmas I make copious amounts of caramelised nuts.  Thankfully going Paleo doesn’t mean giving up this delicious tradition!  Each year I try a different version.  Last year it was all about making them stay slightly chewy and ooey-gooey.  This year I have invented a more toffee-esque version with hints of cinnamon and orange oil.  These beauties whip up in mere minutes, they are as delicious as they are moreish and I already predict that I will be making batch after batch of these until well after Christmas!

Recipe
2 cups of mixed nuts, roughly chopped (I usually do 1/2 cup each of macadamias, cashews, pecans and almonds)
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (or more nuts)
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp honey
5 tbsp coconut sugar
Pinch of salt
12-15 drops of food grade orange oil
1 tsp cinnamon

Method
Line a baking tray, large plate or container with baking paper and set aside.
Melt the coconut oil and honey together in a frying pan over a medium heat until bubbles begin to form.  Now add the coconut sugar and orange oil and quickly stir to combine.
Now throw all your nuts and seeds into the frying pan and stir well, ensuring that they all get a good coating of caramel.  
Sprinkle your nuts and seeds with cinnamon and salt and continue stirring until they smell toasty, this shouldn’t take more than about 5-8 minutes.
Once cooked, scrape the nuts and any remaining caramel mixture onto your prepared baking tray spreading them out as evenly as possible (this will make it easier to break them up once the caramel hardens).
Leave your caramelised nuts to harden on for about 20 minutes before snapping them up into bite sized clusters. 
I can’t help myself and always have a few freshly made, still warm and a little sticky, with a cup of tea.  Go on, make yourself a cuppa and enjoy!