World Cup Snack Ideas

As soccer fever grips people around the world, fans excitedly wait for kick-off on 12 June. The 20th FIFA World Cup takes place in soccer-crazy Brazil, with the opening ceremony at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo. Promising to be an event like no other, it will feature singing sensations Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull performing to a crowd of more than 65 000.

Not having bagged a plane ticket to sunny South America to watch the opening, or any of the 64 matches, should not stop you from celebrating the magic of the beautiful game. Simply do it in the comfort of your own home and bring a taste of Brazil to you with some of these ideas:

Snack Attack

A twist on the usual bar nuts, these glazed cashew nuts are great on their own and even better with an ice cold beer. Easy to make, they take just 30 minutes and are the perfect snack to have while watching your favourite team play. This recipe, courtesy of frombraziltoyou.org, serves eight.

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg white
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups whole cashew nuts
• Zest of 1 large orange

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 163^oC.
2. Line two large baking sheets with greaseproof paper and set aside.
3. In a bowl, beat the egg white until foamy before stirring in the salt and orange juice.
4. Mix the sugar and spices together in a separate bowl, before adding to the beaten egg white mixture until a paste is formed.
5. Add the cashew nuts to the paste, ensuring that they are evenly coated before laying them on the lined baking sheets. (Make sure that they are in one, single layer so they can bake evenly).
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 21-23 minutes, occasionally stirring them.
7. Once removed from the oven, and still hot, sprinkle the nuts with orange zest and voila!

Beer? No thanks!

If you’re looking for a non-alcoholic alternative for a match day drink, look no further than this Brazilian Lemonade. Made with lime instead of lemons, it takes only 20 minutes to make from start to delicious finish and serves four.

Ingredients:

• 2 limes
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups water
• Ice

Method:

1. Thoroughly wash the limes before cutting off the edges and slicing into eight wedges.
2. In a blender, place the lime wedges with the remaining ingredients.
3. Pulse the mixture 5 times before passing through a fine mesh strainer to remove the lime rind.
4. Serve immediately over ice.

Easy Cheesy

Widely popular throughout Brazil, these cheese rolls are fluffy and light. This recipe yields 16 and is ready in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• 170g tapioca flour (wheat flour can be used, but the rolls will not be as light)
• ½ cup grated cheese of your preference
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200^oC.
2. Place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth, using a spatula every now and then to scrape the sides of the blender to ensure that everything is well blended.

** NOTE ** If you like, you can place the batter into the refrigerator and keep, covered, for up to one week.

3. Spoon the mixture into a greased mini-muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before eating, still warm with butter and filling of your choice.

These snacks, although only the tip of the Sugar Loaf Mountain, are great Brazilian treats that are easily made and relished. So go and enjoy the upcoming month of soccer madness with some authentically Brazilian snacks, and remember to tune in to the opening match between Brazil and Croatia or the final on July 13^th.