Expectation: That everybody loves nuts as much as I do.
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of nuts. If I had my way, I would put nuts in all of my baked goods. Not only are nuts delicious and perfect for adding a little crunch, they are also full of healthy fats and nutrients. In fact, people who regularly eat nuts are less likely to have heart disease.
I've recently experimented with adding nuts to baked goods in non-traditional ways, through nut butters and ground nuts. Ground nuts can replace flour in many recipes, and it is easy to do. Just toast nuts then grind them in a food processor or blender.
Some of my favorite recipes with nuts include:
Cherry Almond Cornmeal Cake
(with ground almonds in the cake and slivered almonds on top)
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
(super easy and quite delicious)
Hazelnut Espresso Coffecake
(with ground hazelnuts inside)
Orange Ginger Nut Bars
(almond meal crust with pistachios and almonds on top)
