Walnuts were out of favour for a while because they contain fat – and fat was out of favour.
We have a somewhat more sophisticated understanding of fat these days and recognize that some fat has merit, in spite of the calories.
There has never been much doubt about the pleasant flavour and crunch of walnuts. That is how they have found a place in many cuisines, including ours.
Fourré aux Noix, one of the selections in my November cheese-of-the-month box, is laced with walnuts. Produced by a company in France, called Rambol, Fourré aux Noix consists of a soft, creamy base containing finely chopped walnuts, striped with horizontal layers of darker, walnut–infused paste. It is attractive and delicious.
There are several types of walnuts grown in temperate climates. English or Persian walnuts, native to southeast Europe through to China, are the most commonly available to us commercially. Black walnuts have a thick blackish brown shell and a more pronounced flavour. Butternuts, also known as white walnuts, were part of the Iroquois diet, and European settlers adopted them into their meals as well.
Because of their fat content, walnuts are best stored at refrigerator or freezer temperatures to keep them fresh. Anyone who has tasted nuts stored in a warm cupboard too long will appreciate this.
Walnuts are, in my experience, the nuts most commonly used in baking. They’re paired with chocolate in chocolate chip cookies and brownies, with fruit in banana bread, with raisins in some butter tarts and with honey in baklava.
In this recipe, walnuts are combined with almonds and pistachios and the baklava is coiled in a pan rather than shaped into conventional diamond shapes. It is a sweet, rich, sticky treat.
Honey Nut Baklava Roll
Adapted from The Canadian Living Test Kitchen: “The International Collection: Home Cooked Meals from Around the World”. Transcontinental Books, Montreal, 2011.
- 175 mL (¾ cup) butter
- 10 sheets phyllo pastry
Filling
- 375 mL (1½ cups) walnut halves
- 150 mL (⅔ cup) slivered dried apricots
- 75 mL (⅓ cup) chopped almonds
- 75 mL (⅓ cup) chopped pistachios
- 60 mL (¼ cup) fresh bread crumbs, toasted
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 5 mL (1 tsp) cinnamon
- Pinch ground cloves
Syrup
- 150 mL (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 125 mL (½ cup) liquid honey
- 1 strip lemon zest
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) lemon juice
Filling:
Stir together walnuts, apricots, almonds, pistachios, breadcrumbs, sugar, cinnamon and cloves; set aside.
Syrup:
In saucepan, bring 250 mL (1 cup) of water, sugar, honey, lemon zest and cinnamon to boil, stirring. Reduce heat and boil gently until syrupy, about 12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice; simmer for 1 minute. Let cool.
In small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Skim off foam; pour clear melted butter into bowl, leaving milky liquid in pan.
Place 1 sheet of the phyllo on work surface, covering remainder with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Brush sheet with butter. Top with second sheet; brush with butter. Spread generous 125 mL (½ cup) of the filling along 1 long edge; roll up and fit around edge of greased 2.5 L (9 inch) springform pan. Repeat with remaining pastry, butter and filling until pan is full, coiling rolls around edge of pan and then in a spiral toward centre and pressing firmly to form compact rounds. Brush with butter. Place on 30 cm (12 inch) pizza pan.
Bake in 180 C (350 F) oven until phyllo is golden and crisp, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven; pour syrup over coil. Let cool on pan on rack, pouring any syrup that leaks onto pan over coil.
To serve, cut into wedges like pie.
Make ahead: cover and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
Makes 16 servings.
Walnuts are also used in savoury dishes, for example as salad toppings. I like them toasted briefly – they have to be watched closely as they can scorch in a hurry due to the fat content – and sprinkled over marinated beets.
In vegetarian meals, and especially vegan meals, they can play a prominent part as satisfying protein sources.
These versatile nuts have earned their place on dinner plates and in desserts.
Margaret Prouse, a home economist, can be reached by email at [email protected].