Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

Nice for a holiday nibble bowl... I adapted this from Matthew Kenney's Mixed Candied Nuts recipe in Everyday Raw. I omitted the maple powder he suggests and threw in some dried cranberries & added the hemp hearts. I tweeked the ratios a little here and there as well to suit my own tastes.

Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

• 4C Walnut Halves (soaked at least 6hrs)
• 4C Pecans (soaked at least 6hrs)
• 4C Almonds (soaked at least 6hrs)
• 1C Hemp Hearts
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2C Maple Syrup
• 1T Cinnamon
• 1/2C Dried Cranberries

Dehydrate nuts for 24hrs after soaking (not hemp hearts), Add maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon mix well, add hemp hearts mix again until well coated. Dehydrate on screens for another 48hrs mix in dried cranberries.

BTW: Incase you didn't know why soaking nuts and seeds is a good idea.

The main reason soaking nuts and seeds is so important is because they contain enzyme inhibitors. By soaking the nuts/seeds you remove these inhibitors so your body is better able to digest the nut.Soaking times vary. Generally the more dense the nut, the longer you should soak it.

Moons of the Faithful Biscotti

Chewy sweet and buttery these Apricot Biscotti with Almonds turned out really well. Confucious called Apricots "moons of the faithful" because he ascribed his knowledge to the apricot tree. Apricots are high in copper and cobalt and are commonly used in the treatment of anemia. Apricots are one of the best sources of beta-carotene around (vitamin A). They are also a great source of fiber. Plus they are super tasty! mmmm

Moons of the faithful Biscotti

• 1 1/2 C Dried Apricots (soaked for .5/hr to soften)
• 2C Almonds
• 3 Large Pitted Dates
• 2T Raw Almond Butter
• 1t Cinnamon
• 1T Vanilla
• 1/4C Soak Water (reserved from Apricots and Dates)

Soak almonds in water overnight. Drain and rinse. Soak the Apricots and Dates in water for around .5 hour to soften. Drain set aside soak water. In a food processor, chop almonds until fine. Add dates, apricots, almond butter, cinnamon, and vanilla blend drizzle in water until a dough like paste is formed (will be a little chunky). To form roll all dough into a large loaf shape cut into biscotti. . Dehydrate at 110 for 20hrs flip off non stick sheets and return to dehydrator for 4-8 hrs.
Stores well in plastic bags in the freezer.