I admit it. I will buy those overpriced flavoured almonds - wasabi flavoured, chilie and lime, smokehouse bbq... you name it I'm willing to try it (and normally love it). Last year at this time I discovered a gourmet almond mix (Sahale Snacks) - which included some raisins, almonds, sesame and flax seeds baked in balsamic vinegar and sugar (as well as a PB&J flavour... DELISH). I decided to try and make my own version of the first one tonight.
I really just tossed everything together - I didn't measure anything, just eyeballed everything. I think the basic cooking instructions could be used for whatever nut you want to flavour - just remember that if you decided on an assortment that their size will determine cooking time (a brazil nut will bake slower than an almond or cashew).
Sweet and Spicy Almonds
ingredients:
bunch of almonds
olive oil
balsamic vinegar reduction (twice the amount of the olive oil)
brown sugar
cayenne pepper
cinnamon powder
sesame seeds
flax seeds
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a cookie sheet with your almonds - make sure that they are well spread out. Toast them for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine all the other ingredients.
Remove the almonds from the oven, lower the temperature to 300 F.
Add the almonds to the sticky balsamic sugary mix and stir well to make sure that the nuts are well covered.
At this point, before putting the almonds back on the cookie sheet, line it with some parchment paper (easier clean up).
Spread the almonds on the cookie sheet and return to the oven. You'll bake them for between 20 - 25 minutes, stirring them every 5 minutes.
Once done, let the nuts cool on the cookie sheet. Once cooled remove and store.
Next time I'm going to add some dried apple and dates... :0) I'm already looking forward to the next batch!
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