Candied almonds

This is the kind of recipe I like to try out when I want to mix things up a bit.  It's fairly quick, no-bake, and involves something I love to munch on - nuts.  David Lebovitz says he calls on this appetizer more than any other and that grabs my attention.  So if you're a little worn out from all the holiday baking and cookies (I should say, fortunate enough to be worn out because I feel lucky to be occupied in this way), try this easy candy-making for a change like I did a couple of weeks ago.

These are candied almonds, very much like what you can get from Street vendors in New York City.  Incidentally, after many years of living and working in the NYC area, I didn't give those nuts a try until last Christmas when my family and I played tourist and stayed there for a couple of days' "vacation."  I found myself easily munching and crunching my way through my little paper bag of nuts.

I think these homemade candied almonds are all the more addicting and better than the version you get on the NYC sidewalk.  They have the advantage of being homemade, of course, and there's just a freshness to them because of it.  They are crunchy and sweet, with just a bit of salt thrown in to make things vibrant.  As an added bonus to making these, you benefit from a wonderful sweet/nutty aroma of caramelized nuts in your kitchen.

I went with almonds but you can also use peanuts.  I've gained a new appreciate for peanuts lately but couldn't find raw peanuts for this recipe.  In the end, I decided almonds would be a better way to go since they're generally more popular or seem a little more "special" to most people than peanuts, and I planned to pack my batch up as gifts (with plenty left for the cook to nibble on).

For this recipe, you only need 4 ingredients, a big wide skillet or pan, and no more than half an hour's time.  There's a good amount of stirring involved but I found that relaxing - an escape from the world outside - with the reward of watching  these caramelized nuts come into being.  

Tossing these nuts in their sugar coating reminded me of something my grandfather used to make.  He used to toss fried pieces of taro (I'm pretty sure they were fried first) in a wok with a sugar syrup until they were each coated with a thin, white layer of sugar.  Once they were cool enough to eat, we'd bite into it and come into contact with the first layer of sweet, crackly sugar and then fluffy, starchy taro within.  It was one of many interesting things he cooked for us.

But back to these candied nuts; they make a great appetizer or snack to go with drinks at a gathering.  They are also something easy to make for a hostess gift or general homemade holiday gift.  I made these for an ornament exchange party I went to recently.  I love having a good excuse to try something new.