Toasting nuts prior to using them in recipes is a great way to more prominently showcase their nutty flavour. I used to always skip this step, until I toasted a batch, to see if they tasted better. Boy, do they ever! Now, I never cook without first toasting my nuts before incorporating them in my recipe. There are two easy ways of toasting nuts: the oven method, and the skillet method. Either way, there is no set amount of nuts for this process. Just toast as many nuts as you need.
If using the oven, preheat it to 325F. Spread the nuts evenly on an ungreased, unlined baking sheet, and place the sheet in the oven on the middle rack for about 10 minutes, or when you begin to smell their fragrance. You may want to start checking them after 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, dump them into a bowl or onto a cutting board and let them cool completely. I strongly recommend staying stove-side while you do this, because nuts burn easily and quickly.
You can also toast nuts on your stove top, in a dry skillet, over medium low heat, shaking the skillet occasionally until the nuts start to turn golden brown. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how large your skillet is, and how many nuts are being toasted at once. Do NOT leave the skillet unattended, as once the nuts get hot, it takes only seconds for them to burn. Remove them from the heat, dump them into a bowl or onto a cutting board and let them cool completely.
One final note…toasted nuts are very hot to the touch, so please let them cool completely before eating them or using them in your recipe.
Leave a Reply