TASTE
Spiced almonds make great heart-healthy gifts
| • | Sweet bread — Alice's way |
By Jim Romanoff
Associated Press
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Here's a delicious homemade gift that is a little lighter and more creative than most.
These delicately flavored roasted, spiced almonds are loaded with antioxidants and are rich in monounsaturated fats, making them a wonderful heart-healthy treat.
The technique for making spiced almonds is easy: Raw, whole almonds are coated in a mixture of lightly beaten egg white and water, then tossed with some sugar and any variety of spices and seasonings.
Roasting the coated nuts at a low temperature brings out a toasted, nutty flavor and caramelizes the sugar and spice coating into a crunchy flavorful shell.
This recipe calls for a blend of granulated maple sugar (available online and at specialty shops), granulated garlic and freshly ground pepper to create a salty, sweet praline-like coating. If you can't find maple sugar, light brown sugar will do.
Spiced almonds will keep for at least a week in a tightly covered container or stored in the freezer for up to six months. To give as gifts, try packaging them in canning jars, as they are airtight and often available with a holiday themed lid.
They are irresistible eaten out of hand, but also can be enjoyed as part of a mixed green salad or a sweet and savory trail mix. And use different spices and sugars with the egg white coating to create a variety of flavors:
MAPLE-GARLIC SPICED ALMONDS
Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the maple sugar, granulated garlic, pepper and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white and water until foamy. Add the almonds and stir to coat, then pour through a strainer to drain off excess egg white.
Transfer the almonds to the large bowl of sugar and spices; stir to coat well. Spread the almonds evenly over the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes. Stir, and continue baking until the almonds are dry and golden, about 30 minutes more. Let cool before serving or packaging.
Makes 12 servings.
