LittleSugarSnaps

Chai Spiced Candied Nuts – 3 Ways

February 16, 2017 By Jane Saunders 10 Comments

These Chai Spiced Candied Nuts are easy to make, bursting with sweet spice and deliciously crisp. They also take on a new dimension when dipped in chocolate and dusted with salted cocoa powder or spiced icing sugar. Serve all three varieties and put on a nut spread to impress.

There’s a new obsession in my house – nuts. This craze began last autumn, when I got the chance to photograph, and taste, some exceptionally good nuts from Cracking Nuts.

Before this time my kids could take or leave nuts. They could handle a few in baking, but nuts were not something they got excited about.

Fast-forward to the present day and it’s a different matter:

If there’s a little late night sharing snack to be had at the weekend, nuts are just as welcome as crisps
When I made these Chai Spiced Candied Nuts, two little heads kept on popping through to the kitchen to see if they could scrounge some
There has even been disappointment when I’ve explained that I cannot put nuts in their lunch-boxes as a Friday treat since some kids have nut allergies

My kids are now totally sold on nuts. All thanks to Cracking Nuts….

Blood Orange Drizzle Muffins with Chocolate Chips

February 8, 2017 By Jane Saunders 10 Comments

Ready to trot into the oven in just 10 minutes these Blood Orange Drizzle Muffins with Chocolate Chips are an easy, sweet and seasonal breakfast win to enjoy.

I’ve been having a mini kitchen crisis over the last few weeks. The UK has supply issues. Unsurprisingly, given our climate, a large proportion of our modern-day fresh fruit and vegetables are imported during the cooler months. And our supermarket shelves have been suffering as a result of recent flooding and snow in Spain – one of our key sources of supply. In particular, our courgette and spinach shelves are bare. I use alot of these vegetables in my everyday cooking, so I’ve been missing my little green friends. Alot.

To cheer myself up, I decided to get myself a fix of blood oranges, which are usually in abundance at this time of year. Usually I say…

I did eventually get myself a handful last week, but it took me some time to track them down. I’ve just been rummaging around online and discovered that although Spanish crops of citrus fruit are fine, there may just be a slight problem with producers being able to reach their harvest due to the unusually nasty weather they are having to endure.

Although it’s a tad annoying to be restricted in my shopping habits, it is a timely reminder that I live in fortunate times. It won’t be long before our supermarket shelves are flowing properly again. And in the meantime, I’ll take the opportunity to stretch my brain cells a little further to temporarily replace my courgette and spinach fetish in the kitchen.

Putting supply issues aside, shall I get to the Orange Drizzle Muffins?…

Hazelnut Taleggio Cheese Palmiers + JORD Watch Competition

February 1, 2017 By Jane Saunders 10 Comments

Kick off your evening in style with these crisp, crumbly, savoury Cheese Palmiers. They are great as an informal appetiser for a romantic evening or as a crowd-pleasing party nibble.

This is a sponsored post, written by me on behalf of Woodwatches by JORD. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own. For more information, see my disclosure policy.

I’m very excited today. Not only have I got some crispy, crunchy, flaky, savoury pastries to talk about, I’ve also got a little competition for you to enter.

First up, I’ll delve into the pastries. I’ve been wanting to put together these Hazelnut & Taleggio Cheese Palmiers for quite some time. Now that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner I have the perfect excuse.

Many people liken palmiers to pig’s ears or elephant’s ears. Not me. I think they resemble love hearts. Admittedly, love hearts that are so stuffed full of goodies that they are fit to bursting point. And perhaps they are ever so slightly mis-shapen, due to their full load. But the heart shape is definitely what my eyes see. Who cares if it’s not perfectly formed?…