Raw Cashews vs Regular for brownies?

[dinami]

I'm making brownies this weekend and it has a caramel topping and the recipe says to add 1/2 to 3/4 cup raw cashews to the melted caramel. Is there a difference between raw cashews and a package of salted cashews you find at the grocery store? Thanks for your help!

[hotoynoodle]

raw cahsews are also softer. perhaps the recipe writer prefers that? all my baking books typically recommend roasting the nuts.

[pescatarian]

I think the only benefit to raw nuts (of any kind) is you get more nutrient value. Since you are going to be cooking them anyways, I would use roasted for the flavour. I agree with the suggestion to use raw and toast/roast them yourself. I would lightly salt them. They will still be less salty than the storebought kind and a little salt will be a nice contrast.

[Diane in Bexley]

Personally, if you are using with a caramel sauce, that screams pecans to me not cashews.

[dinami]

Yeah, I was worried about the salty cashews overpowering everything else, and I have made a different brownie with a slightly different caramel sauce recipe with pecans, but the pecans weren't in the caramel sauce, they were scattered on top of the brownie batter before baking. So I guess if I can't find raw cashews (or unsalted cashews) I'll get pecans. Thanks guys!

[redchile]

I would roast the raw cashews, but leave then unsalted.

[Smokey]

I'm with redchile. Although I like the complement of salty and sweet, salted nuts are, in generaly way too salty to provide a pleasant contrast in the mouth. Instead, I think they would just be overly salty in your caramel. I would toast raw cashews in my oven and then add them, maybe sprinkle the caramel with a touch of salt.

[Kagey]

I can't imagine that the raw cashews would taste better than roasted. If it were me, I'd probably go ahead and add roasted ones, unless of course you can easily find the raw ones.

[cheryl_h]

Yes, there is a difference - salted cashews are roasted.