Big news, guys! And it’s not about the candied walnut tartines, which are delicious and I will gush about in just a bit. You may have already seen over on Instagram buttttt *drum roll*…. I’m moving!! I’ll still be in Capitol Hill just in a bigger apartment. I’ve been apartment searching since August and I’m so happy to have finally found my new home. The kitchen in the new apartment is a lot bigger than my current one, I’m thinking about adding cooking, cocktail, and Trader Joe’s haul videos on my IG Stories and IGTV. Is that something you’d like to see?
Okay so let’s get back to what you came here to talk about: Candied walnut tartines.
With Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving season well underway and the holiday season about to start in what feels like the next five minutes, your calendar is filling up with parties and get-togethers. Add gift shopping, traveling, oh yeah and work, November and December always makes feel like I’m short on time.
This is where these bad boys come to the rescue. Thanks again to my boyfriend Trader Joe’s, you can whip up these candied walnut tartines with chèvre and cranberries easily under 30 minutes. They’re perfect to bring as an appetizer or snack to any holiday gathering and travel well. Plus they sound fancy, right? I mean, candied walnuts? Trust me though, the candied walnuts take five minutes to make. Minimal work and you’ll feel like Ina Garten.
Here’s what you do:
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I sliced up a fresh French baguette and lightly toasted each side in butter (It’s the holidays, gotta do it) in a skillet over medium heat. Then I removed the baguette slices and placed to the side on a plate. In the same skillet, I melted another tablespoon of butter and added 1 cup of walnuts and 1/2 cup of sugar.
If you’re going to use the entire baguette, I’d recommend increasing it to 2 tbsp of butter, 2 cups of walnuts and 1 cup of sugar. Also would recommend slicing up the walnuts into bite-size pieces before you toss them into the skillet.
Stir with a spatula to evenly coat the walnuts with the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes until the sugar completely dissolves. Spread immediately onto a piece of parchment paper and make sure the walnut pieces are separated while they’re still hot. Otherwise when they cool, the walnut will form into one giant blob.
Time for the assembly line.
First up, Trader Joe’s Chèvre with Honey.
Trader Joe’s Chèvre is a cheese that makes me feel like I could be a cheese person. Trader Joe’s usually rolls out the Cranberry Chèvre for the holidays, you should absolutely pick it up next time you’re in the store. Actually pick up two because it’s that delicious.
But let’s focus on Trader Joe’s Chèvre with Honey. The sweetness of honey works perfectly with the tanginess of goat cheese and for $3, it’s a no-brainer to toss into your cart. With these tartines, it adds another layer of flavor by just spreading a generous spoonful onto the toasted baguettes. So easy!
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Layer on the candied walnuts and then top with my personal favorite part of this whole entire tartine.
Orange Flavored Cranberries.
Again, courtesy of my boyfriend the genius Trader Joe’s.
I originally went to Trader Joe’s intending to pick up regular dried cranberries but apparently, reading the labels isn’t one of my strong suits and I came home with Orange Flavored Cranberries. Probably was one of the best mistakes I’ve ever made. Or at least, one of the most delicious.
I swear, those cranberries smell like heaven. I’m already brainstorming a cocktail I can throw them in. Because I need more of them in my life.
Here’s what the bag looks like, you can find them in Trader Joe’s dried fruits/trail mix section.
