Black Friday in the Kitchen
November 27, 2008

No smackdown shopping in the super-stores for me on Black Friday, I’ve declared this a retail-free season. Instead, I’m preparing and sharing delicious consumables for family and friends. Friday will be a culinary cooperative in the kitchen whipping up gingerbread house parts, soups, and sweet treats with my Mom, sisters, and kids. I found cute containers and bags at the craft store and deli to package and store the goodies. For my quick hit gifts, I find holiday-themed cellophane bags perfect for filling with pistachio nuts, trail mix, or homemade granola: pop on a big, bright bow, and it’s a treat good-to-go anywhere.

There are several food-gift recipes on my website that have become holiday classics over the years: Gingerbread Houses (11/25/04); Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies (12/18/03); Chocolate Almond Bark (12/9/04); Green Mountain Chocolate Chip Cookies–I freeze the dough in quart containers (10/13/05); Healthy Holiday Quick Breads (11/20/03); Crunchy Granola (3/13/03); and BBQ Marriage Sauce (7/22/04). I guarantee that loved ones will be thrilled with any one of these mouthwatering treats. Last year, pal Sherri George made these fragrantly delicious Vanilla Nuts for friends, and I loved them so much I’m adding them to my repertoire this season.

Vanilla Nuts
You’ll need: 1 pound walnut halves; 3 tablespoons of corn oil; 1 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract; one-half cup sugar; one-fourth teaspoon each of ground coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, and salt; one-eight teaspoon white pepper.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Blanch walnuts 1 minute. Drain well. Transfer to a bowl. Blend corn oil with vanilla extract. Pour over hot nuts. Sprinkle in sugar and toss to mix well. Let stand 10 minutes. Arrange nuts on a rimmed baking tray. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until nuts are light brown and crispy. Stir nuts a few times during baking. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. When nuts are done baking, transfer to a large bowl while still hot. Toss with seasoning mixture. Return to baking sheet and spread in a single layer to cool. Serve at room temperature. (Double or triple the batch.)

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008