82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 17, 1998
/Walnuts
Rejoice this baking season
a fall chill enters the air, what could be more appealing
than a warm, fragrant kitchen filled with freshly baked
desserts? Baking is part of the autumn landscape, and walnuts
are a continuing theme in family recipes that withstand the
test of time.
Walnuts have always played an important role in the fall
baking tradition. Walnuts' unique, mellow flavor, delightful
crunch and toasted aroma are an incomparable component
of many baked desserts. And this is the season to stock
/ . •••■
TIPS
• Toasting enhances the flavor and
crispness ol walnuts To toast in the
oven spread shelled walnuts on
baking sheet or shallow pan and
hake at TS() F tor 10-12 minutes
stir several times
• You can toast walnuts in the
microwave Place V 4 to I cup of
walnuts in a single layer in a glass
pie plate Microwave on high
(6SO to 700 watt HKK# ) tor 4 to S
minutes or until toasted stimng
ever> 2 minutes cool
• Walnuts aren t just toi baked goods—
these wondcifullv veisatile nuts also # Walnuts were a favorite delicacy of the ancient
enhance pastas salads appetizers Romans and were used not only tor eating but
and sauces and contribute valuable also to dye wool and color han
protein to vegetarian dishes
OTo keep your walnuts Iresh store
shelled nuts in an airtight eonlainei
in the relr igeiator or tree/er
# Do not shell vealnuls until icady
to use
# Always measure walnuts afiei
chopping and lor best results, use
a chefs knife to chop walnu'
0
#
* f
* *
1 %
-Vr^ov
RASPBERRY WALNUT
SHORTBREAD BARS
) 1/4 cops plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose floor,
divided
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup raspberry jam .
2 egg*
• ,02 cap (irmly packed brown sugar
■. i teaspoon vanilla
.1/$ teaspoon baking soda •
'■ I'etrp chopped walnuts-
Hdat-bVeb t6'550"F.-l-ighlty grease at9-inch square pafl. Combine ’
.’•J. iMppps flauf knd l/2;cupsogaV; Using pistry blender or.forlucut
- fit butter until mixture flnejneal.Press- into greased pan.
, Sake at 350-f tor 2ft minutes or jusf mull edges art-tightly goltjejl
Spread bot’-cruSt with raspberry Jaw 'Combine eggs', brownxitgar :
and vanilla, beat weU/Caibbme remaining 2'ta6fespootjsfl<?ur and
baling into egg mixture Fold in walnuts. Spoon Over • _
to pah jjdrncrO Rqwm to oven; bate uijdlhopal
. ,’2Q ttt?s;mintuc.s.6c unlit-urn is set Cool completely,cot into bats,
c-r' >
S ,
< I v V
-f' , • -
♦
Did You Know...
• Thcwoid walnut originates from uahlnul an # Walnuts are high in food energy are a good
Old English word lor Welsh nut souicc of vegetable protein contain no choies
lerol and aie low in saturated fats and sodium
# Sales ot walnuts are greater than almonds and
pecans combined
# An a\eragc ol 400 million pounds ol walnuts
are hai vested each year from die central and # Alter a walnut tree is planted, it takes six years
northern sections ol California to bear fruit and isn I considered mature until
it’s 12 to 14 years old The tree can continue
* to produce for as long as 100 years
up on these very popular baking nuts —walnut growers have
been blessed with an abundance
of high-quality walnuts, have reduced prices accordingly. - , jm*
To celebrate, a liberal sprinkle of walnuts is in order. r ,
The flavorful rewards of baking with walnuts are **KSr ; ' .
illustrated in the following recipes—three of the
most popular recipes from generations of
baking research at the Diamond Walnut
lesl kitchens. jfe 4P
in an abundant and low-priced supply.
# California produces virtually all ol the walnuts
grown commercially in the United Stales and
cxpoits them to mote than 100 othei countries
9 Walnuts are harvested liom mid Seplemhei
thiough November
v
HARVEST WALNUT PIE
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
I teaspoon vanilla
1 (9-inch) unbaked pastry pie shell
1 1/2 cups large pieces walnuts
Heat oven to 400°F Combine eggs, sugar, flour, corn syrup,
butter and vanilla, blend well Pour into unbaked pie shell,
arrange walnuts on top Bake in lower third of oven at 400°F tor
15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to SSIF’F, bake an additional
35 to 45 minutes or until center appears set Cool completely
8 servings.
BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 cup butter softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
. 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 12-oz. pkg. (2 cops) semi-sweet chocolate pieces
2 cups chopped walnuts
: "MeSt oven to 350°F Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs
■' and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy Stir in flour, baking soda
‘And salt, mix Well Stir in chocolate and walnuts Drop by table
ts onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in upper third ot
at 350°F for 10 minutes or until set. (Cookies do not brown
~ . < much. Texture is soft when removed from oven but slightly
crisp and chewy when cool ) Remove from cookie sheets, cool
.. on wire racks About 5 dozen cookies. Turn to page B 3
HISTORY
Walnuts are one of the oldest tree foods known to man, dating back to
7,000 B C The nuts, which grew wild over much of Europe and Asia,
were introduced into China from central Asia in 140 B C , and by 618
they were popular among the Chinese upper class These so-called
English (more properly, Persian) walnuts were introduced into Califor
nia in the late 1700 s by the Spanish Franciscan priests In 1853 walnuts
were exhibited at the first horticultural fair of the California State
Agricultural Society, and by 1868 approximately 31,000 walnut trees
were being grown in California The launch of the walnut industry in
the 1860 s is credited to Joseph Sexton, an innovative nurseryman As
the production of walnuts increased, growers began forming marketing
associations or cooperatives whose goals emphasized quality production
In 1912 the California Walnut Growers Association was formed to
receive, pack, ship and market the walnuts grown by its members and
to act as their representative in the crop distribution The association
took the name Diamond Walnut Growers in 1956, and by the 1990 s
was handling more than 47 percent ot California’s annual walnut crop
thanks to its reputation tor consistency and quality through state-of
the-art processing equipment and personal, hands-on attention to all
Us products