Chefs Share Festive Dessert Recipes To Make Using Nuts
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To use nuts to make delicious festive desserts, start by toasting nuts to enhance their aroma and flavour, a simple step that adds depth to any dish. Finely ground nuts can replace flour, adding a moist, nutty richness to baked goods. Alternatively, coarsely chopped nuts provide a satisfying crunch when sprinkled over creamy desserts or folded into mixtures.

Caramelising nuts with sugar creates a glossy, crunchy topping, perfect for adding a festive touch. For a more indulgent approach, consider incorporating nuts into creamy layers or blending them into smooth pastes for fillings. Pairing nuts with warm spices like cinnamon or cardamom enhances their natural flavour, evoking a comforting holiday essence.

Nuts also pair beautifully with dried fruits, chocolates, or syrups, creating harmonious textures and flavours. Whether you’re creating something light or decadent, nuts are the key to transforming simple ingredients into memorable festive delights, offering a balance of healthfulness and indulgence for the season.

Pistachio Jam Rock Cookies by Chef Ajay Chopra, American Pistachio Growers

Ingredients:

  • Sugar: ½ cup
  • Butter: ½ cup (softened)
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla essence: 
  •  1½ cups
  •  1 egg (beaten)
  • American Pistachios: ½ cup (grounded)
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tbsp Glucose syrup
  • ¼ cup Cream
  • 2 tbsp Pistachio powder

Instructions:

  1. Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla essence. Mix in refined flour to form a dough. Roll and cut out cookies. 
  2. Use half to create indentation cookies. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 180°C for 12–15 minutes.
  3. For Pistachio Jam: Melt sugar in a pan until caramelized. Add butter and mix. Stir in glucose syrup, followed by cream. Finally, add grounded American pistachios and cook to a jam-like consistency.
  4. Fill whole cookies with pistachio jam. Place indentation cookies on top.
  5. Dust pistachio powder in the cookie center for a perfect finish.

Healthy No-Bake Chocolate And Cherry Cheesecake by Chef Neha Deepak, Chilean Cherries 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup chopped Chilean cherries
  • 200 gms chenna (paneer)
  • 100 gms dark chocolate
  • Cocoa powder for sprinkling on top (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, crumble the chenna until smooth. This will serve as the creamy base for your cheesecake.
  2. Gently melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler or microwave, stirring until smooth
  3. Mix the melted chocolate into the crumbled chenna until fully incorporated.
  4. Fold in the chopped Chilean cherries, ensuring an even distribution throughout the mixture.
  5. Transfer the mixture into a springform pan or a suitable dish, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow it to set properly.
  7. To easily unmold the cheesecake, dip a knife in hot water before running it around the edges.
  8. Once set, sprinkle cocoa powder on top if desired, slice, and enjoy this guilt-free dessert with family and friends.

Chocolate Pistachio Cookies By Shivesh Bhatia, American Pistachio Growers

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (112 gms) butter, melted
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup castor sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ⅓ cup chocolate chunks
  • ½ cup California pistachio, chopped
  • Pistachio paste
  • 1 cup American pistachios
  • ½ cup white chocolate
  • ¼ cup condensed milk

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, add melted butter, brown sugar and castor sugar. Whisk everything until well combined.
  2. ⁠Add milk and vanilla extract in it and mix again.
  3. Now add in the dry ingredients flour, cornflour and baking soda and combine to form a dough.
  4. ⁠Fold in the chopped dark chocolate and American pistachios in the dough.
  5. For the pistachio paste, in a blender jar add pistachios, white chocolate and condensed milk. Blend everything together until you achieve a smooth pistachio paste. Measure 1 tbsp and freeze them for about 10-15 minutes or until set.
  6. ⁠Scoop out even-sized portions of cookie dough and place pistachio paste ball inside the cookie dough.
  7. Add more dark chocolate chips and pistachios on top. Refrigerate the cookies for atleast 10-12 minutes.
  8. Bake them at 180 for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are brown.

Cherry Choco Lava Cake by Meghna, Chilean Cherries 

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 cup rolled oats (quick or old-fashioned)
  • 1 cup milk (any type)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1.5 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 15-20 fresh Chilean cherries, chopped
  • Chopped dark chocolate (for filling)
  • Ice cream for serving

Instructions:

  1. In a blender, combine the ripe banana, rolled oats, milk, cocoa powder, honey/maple syrup, and baking soda. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  2. Pour the batter into a bowl and gently fold in the chopped chilean cherries.
  3. Pour the batter into individual oven-safe molds (ramekins, mugs). In the center of each mold, add a spoonful of chopped dark chocolate and a few more cherry pieces.
  4. Microwave each mold for 2 minutes, or until the center is set but still slightly gooey.
  5. Let the lava cakes cool slightly before serving.