Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Foodie Fun - Cinnamon Sugar Coated Almonds


Ok, I'm trying to eat healthier, which means more nuts when I want a snack, but plain almonds just weren't cutting it.  So, I looked around online and found a handful of recipes with cinnamon and sugar and almonds.  If you know me, you know I can't just follow one - I have to read all of the reviews and then kinda combine them all.  I'm sure they are healthier when you don't put sugar all over them, but hey - better than a bunch of over processed snacks, right?  Here's what I came up with.

Cinnamon Sugar Coated Almonds

2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter
3 cups almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)
salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place butter on sheet pan and put in the oven to melt.

Whip egg whites and vanilla until foamy, add sugar a little at a time, then brown sugar and cinnamon. Continue to whip until fluffy.

Fold in almonds and coat well.

Place in a single layer on sheet pan and turn to coat with butter.

Bake at 250 for approx. 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. Cool, then eat!

Side note:  I used roasted/salted almonds.  I'm guessing raw might be a better choice since you are technically roasting them yourself.  Not sure what double roasting does, but they were damn good!  I think this recipe would work well for pecans or walnuts too!