Toasting Nuts: Turning Ordinary Ingredients into Extraordinary Flavour

Nuts and seeds are fabulous ingredients.  They have a wonderful array of flavours and smells, they can add texture and they can be used as décor.  However so often they are used in ways that miss out on their great flavour, smell and colour.  For example, how often do we see untoasted almonds sprinkled on a cake or dessert? It should not happen as they don’t look good and they do not add any real flavour.

I should add that although peanuts are not nuts (they are legumes), I include them in this as well.

There is a simple step that can be taken to bring out their flavour and take your cake to another level without having to use any artificial favours or adding essence.

Always toast your nuts and seeds! 

It is such a simple thing to do and transforms nuts and seeds from being fairly bland to ingredients that pack real flavour.  There is really no reason not to do this.

I commonly come across cakes and desserts in cafes, restaurants, shops and online that contain untoasted nuts and seeds.  If they are used as décor then it is obvious from looking at them; it doesn’t look good and you know they will not have flavour.  If a producer has not toasted the nuts or seeds being used as décor, it gives a real indication of the quality and flavour of the rest of the cake or dessert.  It is an attention to detail that is important and should not be passed by.

How to toast your nuts and seeds

So what is the best way to toast nuts and seeds?  In the oven on a roasting try.  Low and slow is the key. Too often I see recipes saying to toast nuts and seeds at too high a temperature and for too short a time.  You really want to toast as much of the nut or seed as possible, not just the outside.  So this means you want the heat from the oven to penetrate the nut or seed.  To assist this, you should also stir your nuts or seeds from time to time during the toasting process.

The length of time will vary depending on the size of nut or seed.  Of course, it may be better to chop your nuts or seeds to get a fuller flavour from the roasting process, but this would not be appropriate if you want to use whole nuts or seeds for a garnish.

As a general guide (but please carefully note that each nut or seed will vary), roast your nuts or seeds at a lower temperature of say 140 degrees Celsius.  Obviously, the length of time will vary depending on the size of the nut or seed and whether or not they have been chopped.  You will smell the aroma as the toasting process takes effect but smell alone is not the definitive test of the nut being properly toasted – go by colour and taste.  Once they have developed a golden tinge then that is a better indication and, as we should be doing with every other ingredient or element, tasting the nuts or seeds is the best way to tell.  Of course, you do not want to over toast the nuts or seeds as they will develop a bitterness that is not pleasant to eat, so it is important to check them during the toasting process.

So, if you are not already toasting your nuts and seeds, I recommend you start. You and / or your customers will notice a big difference in the flavour of your cakes and desserts