Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

(I shared this post last week at Lady Behind the Curtain and now I'm thrilled to share it with you!)

Can you believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow?  The beginning of the holiday season.  A time filled with food, friendship, food, fellowship, food, gifts, decorations and did I mention, food?  It seems that from Thanksgiving until New Year's our lives are based around food.  Party after party, celebration after celebration.  Not that I'm complaining...I love food! 

I love to give gifts too.  There are few things in life that make me happier than giving a gift to someone and seeing their appreciation.  That's one of the reasons why I love the Holiday season so much.  Being a food blogger, you already know that I love to make food.  I enjoy making food for gifts for friends, as well as treats to take into work. 

These cinnamon almonds make a fantastic treat to gift, as well as a great snack to have out at your holiday parties.  They are simple to make because your Crock-pot does the hard work for you!  No slaving over a hot stove--instead you can be putting the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving menu, writing out your Christmas list, or, if you're really on top of it, wrapping your Christmas gifts!

The hands-on time for this recipe is quite minimal, but you should know that you do have to stay home so you're available to stir the almonds.  Sorry, this isn't quite a set it and forget it recipe!  My house smelled absolutely amazing while the almonds were roasting.  Once they were cooled, I could not stop eating them.  I ate way more than necessary while I was photographing the almonds too!  Because this recipe makes quite a bit, I decided to share some roasted almonds with my co-workers.  They were a huge hit and everyone loved them! 

Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

Makes 3-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons  cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla
3-1/2 cups almonds
1/3 cup water

1.  In a small bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon, salt, and allspice.

2.  In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and vanilla until it's frothy, about 3 minutes.

3.  Stir in the almonds until they are completely coated with the egg white mixture.

4.  Add the sugar mixture to the almonds and toss until they're completely coated.

5.  Spray cooking spray on the bottom and sides of a large Crock-pot.  Add the almonds to the Crock-pot, cover, and turn on low heat.

6.  Cook for 2-1/2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.

7.  After 2-1/2 hours, add the water and stir well.  Cook on low for another hour, stirring after 30 minutes.

8.  Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets and spread the almonds out on them to cool.  The almonds will be sticky.  Separate the almonds so they can crisp up and dry.

Store roasted almonds in an airtight container.

Source: Cookin' With Brook


Since tomorrow is a holiday, I'll be away from the computer and spending the day with Mike and our extended family.  I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving.  We have so much to be thankful for!