Maple Pecan Cashew Butter

Maple Pecan Cashew Butter

In this recipe, cashews are combined with pecans to create an unexpected spread, perfect on top of your holiday morning coffee cake, or your everyday slice of toast.

Make-ahead Maple Sugar from Maple Syrup:

*Pro Tip!*

Make this Maple Sugar ahead of time! Use it to sweeten your morning coffee, substitute for brown sugar in your cookies, or add rich caramel notes to your favorite holiday cocktails.

1. Choose a heavy-bottomed saucepan with high sides as the maple syrup will bubble up while cooking.
2. Pour the maple syrup into the pot and heat until it bubbles. Supervise closely to avoid boiling over and do not stir.
3. Cook until the syrup reduces to about half of its original volume. The maple syrup will appear thicker and dark in color after about 20 minutes. Measure the temperature of the syrup frequently with a candy or deep-fry thermometer until the syrup reaches between 257°F and 262°F / 125°C to 128°C.
4. As soon as the syrup reaches the desired temperature, remove immediately from the heat to avoid burning.
5. Now comes the fun part: using a long wooden spoon, begin vigorously stirring the syrup to initiate crystallization.
6. The syrup will start to cool and become increasingly thicker, until solidifying completely into what will look like dry sand. This last transformation will happen almost suddenly so it's important to stir continuously.
7. Sift the maple sugar chunks through a strainer to separate the larger clumps that you will then process in a coffee grinder or a food processor until fully granulated.
8. Store the Maple Sugar in an airtight container at room temperature for over a year.

Pecan Maple Cashew Butter:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C.
2. Place the Pecans in a thin layer on a baking sheet, and roast for 10 minutes, or until they start to smell delicious. You can decide how dark you want the roast by tasting one from time to time. Keep in mind that the nuts will continue to roast for a few minutes while cooling down.
3. Grind the roasted Pecans and the Cashews by pulse-crushing them in a Vidiem Mixer-Grinder/food processor for approximately 1 minute. You should get a fine, wet sand-like, Pecan and Cashew flour.
4. Slowly add the nuts to your Premier Chocolate Melanger, ½ cup at a time. Be sure to achieve a smooth paste before adding more crushed nuts.
5. Once the Pecan and Cashew butter is smooth and fluid, start adding the Maple Sugar ¼ cup at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate before adding more.
6. Lastly, add the salt and vanilla powder (if using) and process for 2 hours.
7. Once you are pleased with the consistency of the spread, proceed with removing the contents of the drum. For optimal results, store the spread in sterilized, airtight glass jars for up to one year.

Tips FAQS

Can I use Pecans only?

Yes, but keep in mind that Pecan skins are very astringent, and will add bitterness to your Butter. The cashews help tone down the bitterness of the Pecans, resulting in a rounder flavor.

There is a lot of residual maple syrup in my pot, how do I clean it?

Sometimes stirring isn't enough and a lot of maple sugar remains at the bottom of the pot-Don’t stress!

Just place the pot back on very low heat and wait for the sugar to start melting on the sides and on the bottom. Gently scrape any remaining sugar crystals out with a wooden spoon.

If there is very little residue, add 1 cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil. The sugar will then easily melt, and you can drink the water as a delicious and nutritious winter tea.

*Percent Daily values are based on a 2,000 kcal (Cal) diet for healthy adults. Calorie needs might vary according to age, gender, height, weight, and physical activity level.