Nuts and Seeds in Breakfast Bars

Asked by EileenBowden. Answered on 16th October 2013

Full question

I have made the Breakfast Bars quite a few times and up to now have used unsalted sunflower and pepita (pumpkin) seeds but was wondering as the recipe specified unsalted peanuts does that mean the other ingredients should be salted?

Our answer

Nigella's Breakfast Bars (from Nigella Express and on the Nigella website) use unsalted natural (raw/unroasted) peanuts and also unsalted pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds.

When ingredients are listed they tend to appear in the most commonly found form. So as mixed seeds are most usually sold raw and unsalted they are just listed as the mixed seeds. In the case of peanuts they come in many forms - roasted, raw, salted and unsalted - so to avoid confusion the exact type of peanut is specified.

Salted ingredients are also usually avoided in baking as the level of salt can vary and e would prefer to control the levels of salt ourselves.Though there is the odd exception, such as Nigella's Sweet And Salty Crunchy Nut Bars (from Kitchen). In addition Nigella always uses unsalted butter in her recipes.