Martha Stewart’s macadamia maple squares

Having macadamias in the pantry is always a fraught experience. There is every chance the lot will be consumed by myself or the Hungry Dad before I have had a chance to bake with them. And there is no halfway with these delicious nuts, which are indigenous to Australia – once you pop you can’t stop, to borrow a phrase. 

I suggest heading to the shops to buy your macadamias then coming home to immediate bake this amazing dish from Martha Stewart. It is perfect for Easter, when you are all chocolate’d out but still want a sweet hit [yes, it happens].

I tweaked it a bit, adding more maple syrup [yum] in lieu of corn syrup [not yum].

You’ll notice in the photo that there is only piece of the finished product. That’s how good it was. And even then I had to practically wrestle it away to snap it. You have been warned…

GATHER:

½ cup butter plus 6 tablespoons extra, softened

1 1/4 cups plain flour

¾ cup roughly chopped macadamias

¼ cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons thickened cream

LET’S GET TO IT:

Preheat oven to 180c and grease and line a 20cm square baking pan with non-stick paper, allowing plenty of overhang.

In a bowl use a fork to whisk together flour and ¼ cup of the nuts; set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer beat together ½ cup butter and the brown sugar until pale. Mix in the flour mixture and 1 teaspoon maple syrup.

Press dough evenly over base of pan and refrigerate for half an hour.

Remove and bake for 22-ish minutes / until lightly golden. Set aside.

Meanwhile put the extra butter and remaining nuts into a small saucepan and cook over a low-is heat, stirring constantly, until butter is foamy – this should take 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in remaining brown sugar, maple syrup and cream and stirring constantly boil for about 2 minutes.

Pour over crust and allow to completely cool. When cool use excess paper hang to lift out of pan and cut into squares or wedges.