Christmas Spiced Macadamias

Christmas Spiced Macadamias

Ingredients
1 egg white
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted macadamias
Icing sugar to serve if desired

Method
Preheat oven to 150°C, fan-forced.
Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Whisk the egg white in a medium sized bowl until it starts to foam. Combine the sugar, spices and salt and mix well in another bowl. Add the macadamias to the egg white and coat evenly, remove the macadamias and add to the spice mixture and coat evenly.
Place the coated macadamias onto the prepared tray in one layer and separate them individually. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the coating mixture has hardened. Allow to cool to room temperature on the tray.
To serve, sprinkle with icing sugar.

Celebrate The Festive Season With Magical Homegrown Macadamias

Home cooks, food lovers and party-goers across the nation are being encouraged to fly the flag and embrace local produce like delectable macadamias to create festive menus with a unique Australian flare this summer.

CEO of Australian Macadamias, Jolyon Burnett, said that while everyone has their own Christmas and holiday traditions, use of Aussie flavours and ingredients when entertaining is the perfect way to inject new life into seasonal celebrations while supporting vital local industries.

'The festive season is a time when friends, families and communities all come together to celebrate not just Christmas and the end of the year, but the beauty of the Australian summer – the weather, our stunning beaches and the amazing array of local produce.

'Macadamias were born in Australia and we believe they should be part of the family at Christmas. Not only are they a delicious bite-sized snack direct from their natural home, they also add a wonderful creamy taste and textural crunch to our favourite sweet and savoury festive season foods," Mr Burnett said.

A handful of homegrown macadamias a day is an essential part of a healthy diet, offering the highest amount of good fats of any nut.

'An entire menu can be built around seasonal local produce including our Aussie nut, which teams beautifully with seafood, lamb and ham along with a variety of dessert. For example, snacks can include Christmas-spiced macadamias or cookies and a macadamia-encrusted ham glaze can be complemented by a green paw paw and macadamia salad for the main course. For something sweet, try a mango and macadamia dessert to round out the feast.

'There are obviously any number of variations to that theme which can use the world's finest nut to give a festive menu some real local flavour."

Predominantly grown in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and up the Queensland coast, with smaller plantings in Western Australia, macadamias are the only native plant to be developed and traded as a commercial food product. Around 40,000 tonnes are produced annually by 750 growers.

Australia is the world leader in research, marketing and development, and is also the largest producer and exporter, delivering macadamias to more than 40 countries worldwide, generating between $120 and $130 million worth of export revenue annually.

Macadamias are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve their freshness.