# Pecan, and other nuts - subsitute choppped with ground



## KColborne (Jan 7, 2021)

I like various desserts that use nuts.
Pecan pie, maple pecan sauces, pralines etc

But, I have family members that have issues eating nuts.
It isn't an alergy.  For medical reasons they aren't supposed to eat nuts because they are hard to digest and unchewed pieces of nuts cause issues.
My wife will cheat this occasionally, for food she REALLY likes, she just has to be VERY careful to chew the nuts really well.

Most nuts are available ground these days.  I could even grind them myself if needed.
Has anyone got experience replacing chopped nuts with ground nuts in recipes?
Does toasting ground nuts have a similar affect to chopped regarding flavor?
My thought is that I would use a smaller quantity of ground nuts to try to get the same flavor without the texture issues.

Hoping for some tips before I begin experimenting.


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## Brokenhandle (Jan 7, 2021)

Is your family members issues with eating nuts from diverticulosis ( I think that's the right term)? I had diverticulitis in 2010, with two surgeries and 4 months of not being able to do anything,  if that's the case I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe make two desserts, one with and one without. 

Ryan


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## KColborne (Jan 7, 2021)

Brokenhandle said:


> Is your family members issues with eating nuts from diverticulosis ( I think that's the right term)? I had diverticulitis in 2010, with two surgeries and 4 months of not being able to do anything,  if that's the case I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe make two desserts, one with and one without.
> 
> Ryan



No.
My son has braces.  Large hard items like nuts he is supposed to avoid for another year or so.
My wife, if the nut pieces are not completely digested they can be painful for her to pass.

In both cases, it is the physical size and hardness of the nuts that are the issue.

We have used nuts in a variety of foods in the past.
Sweet potato bakes, pies, tarts, fish crusts, brownies, etc

I am just looking to get the flavor of the nuts without the chunks.
Finely chopped isn't quite enough and can still bother my wife a bit.  So I was looking at some of the ground options that people with other health issues use in place of flour for example.

I have been making things without nuts for a while now.  We are missing the flavor, so the experimentation with ground nuts in some dishes is about to begin.  I am just hoping to shorten my learning curve a bit if there is anyone that has done similar.


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## zwiller (Jan 7, 2021)

I have made cookies before with ground nuts and think it works quite well.  I think you may need to increase how much you use to get the flavor you want.  One particular recipe for lebkuchen uses only almond flour.  There are also extracts...  They are much better nowadays.  Never did it but roasting sounds like it would work.  Glad to read the issue is not serious.  I am NUTS about nuts, especially this time of year.


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