Author Notes
These almonds are super easy to make and a nice surprising touch to serve with cocktails at a dinner party, or to give as gifts.
You can use many different kinds of nuts for this recipe. I used Marcona almonds here, which were already roasted and salted when I bought them. Cashews also work well as do pecans, or regular almonds--with or without skin, depending on your preference. If you're starting with raw nuts, dry roast them in the pan for 3-5 minutes before you add the sugar, and add a little extra salt at the end, when you add the rosemary. —Ms. T
Ingredients
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3/4 pound
almonds (about 2 cups)
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1/2 cup
sugar
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1 1/2 tablespoons
fresh rosemary, finely minced
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1 scant teaspoons
sea salt, finely ground
Directions
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Place almonds in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Pan should be large enough to accommodate nuts in single layer.
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Add sugar and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. After 5-7 minutes, sugar will begin to melt.
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Cook for additional 5-7 minutes until sugar and nuts begin to brown, stirring more frequently to avoid burning nuts. Turn off heat when sugar is completely melted and caramelized and nuts are evenly coated and browned slightly. Total cooking time should be about 15 min.
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Add chopped rosemary and salt and stir to combine. Turn contents of pan onto a sheet of tin foil to cool.
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When nuts are completely cool, break them apart slightly, and remove any large clumps of sugar that didn't melt. Place in airtight container and store for up to 5 days.
A museum marketing professional 8 hours a day, and a gal who's dreaming, drooling, obsessing about food for the other 18 hours. Wait, that doesn't add up to 24? Oh, that's because I'm counting the hours I'm supposed to be working that I dream about food (don't tell my boss).
Several years ago, I started a cooking club with six girlfriends...ten years later...many of our addresses and last names have changed, our palettes have gotten more sophisticated and the wine has gotten less cheap. We now usually sit at dining room tables like grownups instead of on cushions on the floor of studio apartments, and the conversations have shifted with the life stages...but we're still going strong, the food gets better every month, and nothing is more pleasurable than sharing an afternoon laughing, eating, and trading tips on recipes and life.
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