Toasting Nuts
Toasting Nuts
Nuts should almost always be toasted first to bring out their flavour, however, there is a danger of over-toasting.
Inattention can cause one to scorch a tray of expensive ground nuts, and there is no disguising their burnt taste, no matter how many charred spoonfuls you carefully try to scoop out (I speak from experience).
To prevent this, trust your nose. Once you can smell them, stay nearby and stir frequently with a wooden spoon.
Here we have 300 g ground hazelnuts, before and after toasting. They were baked for ten minutes in a convection oven at 180 C / 350 F / gas mark 4, and stirred frequently.
Cool the nuts before adding them to the batter.
Another ingredient that benefits from toasting is oats. Let them brown a little in the oven before adding them to cookies or porridge.
