I had an open-fire entree planned for this week, but I haven’t been able to make it yet due to prolonged rainy weather. So while we wait for more clement conditions, let’s make a side dish: roasted hazelnuts!
For all the recipes in my HATCHET menu, I want to draw inspiration from the rugged setting of the book. The main character, Brian, eats a variety of nuts and berries, including hazelnuts, which caught my interest since I don’t get to cook with them much. At first I planned to make roasted nuts seasoned with fresh oregano, but then maple syrup popped into my head. It’s the perfect seasonal ingredient for November, and I’ve never seen maple roasted nuts before. I decided to experiment using my go-to candied walnut recipe as a base.
They turned out amazing! The buttery earthiness of the hazelnuts is balanced by the warm sweetness of the maple, and the cinnamon adds just a hint of aromatic lift. It’s a food that feels fancy but is actually just a combo of a few raw materials. Those materials are a match made in trail snack heaven. Enjoy! 😉
A
Maple Cinnamon Roasted Hazelnuts
“There were many questions in his mind about what he had seen and known, and he worked at research when he got back, identifying the game and berries…The nut bushes where the foolbirds hid were hazelnut bushes.”
— Hatchet
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup raw, unsalted, shelled hazelnuts (I ordered mine here)
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Makes 1 cup hazelnuts
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Coat the foil with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until well coated. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet in an even layer, making sure none are touching.
- Bake for 8 minutes, stirring halfway through, trying to keep the nuts separated.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet. As they cool, coating will harden. Remove the nuts from the baking sheet, breaking apart any pieces that are touching, and transfer to a sealed container until ready to serve.
- Eat while out hunting for foragables in the wilderness.
Thank you so much for this simple and delicious recipe! I just made a big batch and they’re wonderful. They have just a hint of sweetness that’s perfect. I also used sugar free syrup so they’re even more healthy! They’re going to be a perfect snack on our flight coming up in a couple of days. 🙂
Thanks for the comment! So glad you’re enjoying them. 😀
Hi, ist the temperature Celcius or F? Thank you and best greetings from Europe
It’s in Fahrenheit. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect the missing F. Thanks for pointing that out!