FUN FACTS
Macadamias love to grow in places where the climate is tropical/coastal. This is why you can find them cultivated in South Africa, Australia, Brazil and Hawaii.
Macadamia trees bear fruit within 5 to 8 years from planting.
A macadamia tree can grow up to 12 meters in height and live up to a hundred years.
Harvesting macadamias is easy to do. Once ripe and ready for harvest, the nuts fall from the tree and they are picked from the ground.
The oil extracted from macadamias is used not only as food but in cosmetics products as well.
Macadamia nuts are known as the “Queen of nuts”.
Macadamia nuts are regarded as one of the healthiest nuts, with no cholesterol.
Macadamia nuts are originally founded in Australia. In 1857 Scottish-Australian chemist, John Macadam conducted extensive research on the nut and in his honour the nut was named macadamia.
EVERY PART OF THE MACADAMIA CROP CAN BE USED
The outer husk can be combined with other organic matter, making an excellent mulch/fertiliser.
The hard shell sustains high temperatures when burning can be used as a fuel for firing furnaces in local industries.
The nuts can be cold-pressed to produce macadamia nut oil which has uses in the food, cosmetics and health industry.
SOUTH AFRICAN RECIPES
Mpumalanga macadamia meringue
INGREDIENTS
MERINGUE DISKS
180g (6) egg whites
330g caster sugar
150g macadamia nuts
BUTTERCREAM
200g muscovado brown sugar
160ml water 30g milk
20g powdered ginger
250g unsalted butter
200g flaked macadamia nuts
20g icing sugar
200g fresh strawberries
5g cayenne pepper
PREPARATION
MERINGUE DISKS
- Process the nuts in food processor, until roughly chopped.
- Preheat the oven to 120°C.
- Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Draw two 20cm-diameter discs on each piece of non-stick baking paper.
- Place on baking trays.
- Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the caster sugar, and continue beating until sugar dissolves.
- Fold in the macadamia flour until just combined.
- Pipe the meringue mixture onto the four prepared discs.
- Bake (swapping trays halfway through cooking) for 1 hour, or until dry and crisp.
- Turn oven off.
- Leave meringues in the oven to cool to room temperature.
BUTTERCREAM
- Combine the water, brown sugar, milk. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
- Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Beat butter, ginger and pepper in a medium bowl until very pale.
- Gradually pour in the milk mixture in a thin, steady stream.
- Beat until well combined.
- Toast flaked macadamia nuts in a frying pan over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
ASSEMBLY
- Reserve ¼ of butter mixture.
- Place one meringue disc on a cake stand or serving plate.
- Spread with ¼ of the remaining butter mixture.
- Top with another disk and add chopped strawberries.
- Top with another disk and spread with butter mixture.
- Add the final disc.
- Top with strawberries, dust with icing sugar and serve.
This recipe was created and written by the accredited contestant of The Great South African Bake Off. Amijingqi Macadamia Farming (Pty) Ltd accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of ingredients, method or content.
