"Jen" > wrote in
:

> I was just wondering, do macadamia nuts need to be cooked before you
> eat them? I was going to make macadamia shortbread, but I could only
> find raw ones, or salted cooked ones in our local shops. What's the
> difference? any ideas?

They don't need to be cooked, and taste fine raw. For shortbread or other
biscuits, though, I've always roasted them first (I've rarely been able to
find them roasted but unsalted). Easy enough to do. Just throw them on a
baking tray, and pop in the oven at around 120C. Keep an eye on them,
though. They don't take very long at all (10 or so minutes), and you don't
want them to burn.

You could make the shortbread with raw, but I think the roasted would taste
better.
--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia