{THIS POST IS SPONSORED ON BEHALF OF DIAMOND NUTS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.}
I have a slight obsession with walnuts. Whether it’s in brownies, fresh nut milk, or on top of fro-yo, walnuts are my nut of choice. Not only are they delicious, they’re also pretty good for you! They’re chock-full of Omega-3 (1/4 cup alone provides 100% the Omega-3 you need per day!), plus they’ve got antioxidants as well as protein and fiber. All in all, walnuts are pretty awesome.
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I knew I wanted to come up with a light, healthy (-ish) dessert. Something that everyone can feel good about after eating two platefuls of brunch food.
I decided on fresh apricots topped with goat cheese. Simple, easy and light. But it was missing something…
Enter homemade honey-walnut syrup. Using Diamond Nuts chopped walnuts, I made a really simple yet addictive syrup with honey and some orange zest. The Diamond Nuts chopped walnuts are the perfect size to work with, and you don’t even have to take out the chopping board. Just a few whisks and you’ve got yourself the perfect syrup. And if your guests don’t eat it all, the syrup goes really well on top of ice cream, too. Just saying…
The taste of the orange-flavored honey and the crunch of the walnuts matched with the creaminess of the goat cheese and fresh apricots in this dish make for a pretty awesome bite.
Fresh Apricots with Goat Cheese & Orange Honey-Walnut Syrup
gluten/grain free, naturally sweetened
Makes 20 servings
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 8 oz. bag of Diamond Nuts chopped walnuts
- 10 apricots (washed, halved and pitted)
- 11 oz. goat cheese
Instructions:
To make the orange honey-walnut syrup, whisk the honey, vanilla, orange juice, orange zest and nutmeg in a medium saucepan until combined. Bring the syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the syrup reaches a boil, stir in the walnuts, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring the walnuts occasionally. Let the syrup cool slightly, then transfer it to a glass container.
To serve, top the fresh apricot halves with slices of the goat cheese, then spoon a tablespoon of the walnut syrup over each apricot half. The apricots can remain chilled for a few hours before serving.
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