Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes

September 4 is Macadamia Nut Day and what a great part of Labor Day Weekend! Try savory and sweet recipes using this versatile snack.

• Macadamia Nut Hummus (courtesy of healthygffamily.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry roasted macadamias

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 clove garlic. minced

• ½ -1 teaspoon salt (depending on tastes)

• 3-5 tablespoons water (start with 3 and add as needed -- you will need more or less depending on how creamy your tahini is)

• ⅓ cup tahini

• 2 -3 tablespoons lemon juice (start with 2 tablespoons and add more to taste)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Place macadamia nuts in food processor and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides periodically to make sure all the nuts are processed. (The nuts will break down, release its oils and go from grainy to paste-like)

2. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the food processor, streaming the olive oil as blending.

3. Taste and adjust seasoning needed.

4. Serve with veggies, sweet potato chips or crackers.

5. Hummus will thicken in the refrigerator so bring to room temperature before serving.

• Macadamia Nut Blondies (courtesy of Shugarysweets.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• pinch of kosher salt

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup white chocolate morsels

• ½ cup macadamia nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, blend the brown sugar with butter. Add in egg and vanilla, stir until combined. Add in salt and flour, mixing until well blended. Fold in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

3. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Once cooled, slice and enjoy. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.

• Caramelized Macadamia Nuts (courtesy of thespruceeats.com)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, halved

• 1/4 cup superfine sugar, known as castor sugar

Directions

1. Heat a small, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and macadamia nuts to the pan and stir.

2. Continuing stirring gently until the sugar has melted and the macadamia nuts have caramelized.

3. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool and then break into pieces. When completely cool, store in a tightly covered container.

Enjoy!