Monday, December 5, 2011

monday pick-me-ups | spiced and candied nuts

nuts
(adapted from smittenkitchen)

Ever since I was little, my mother included tree nuts and broccoli into my supper. As as young girl who had a voracious appetite, I didn't care what the substance was on my plate. If I could eat it, good. I'll eat it. So I did. I suppose my love for tree nuts started then.

I adore nuts with chocolate. With green beans and garlic. In warm cookies. In oatmeal with cinnamon and brown sugar. But the simplest preparation is to roast them. Well roasted almonds are one of my favorite snacks. They become a whole different flavor when roasted. They are deep, complex, and sweet.

Dry roasting almonds has become second nature to me. My mom has done this ritual since I was a tot. But roasting them with cinnamon, sugar, salt, and paprika? Whoa, buddy. The extra crunch from the sugar shell is just magnificent.

This recipe can be adapted to any nut and a variety of spices. I can't wait to play with different flavor combinations!

2 comments:

  1. roasted almonds are perfect in salads! they also taste great when they are coating something :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. yes, i agree! i love adding these to salads with dried cranberries, chunks of soft cheese, romaine, and dijon vinaigrette.

    ReplyDelete