Nuts 'n Honey

This recipe concludes Honey Week! First up we had Cinnamon Honey Butter, Rosemary Flatbread with Blue Cheese, Grapes and Honey and now Honey Roasted Cinnamon Almonds- yum!

I actually made these for Easter, but got so behind in my postings so I'm finally blogging about it. These were delicious. I quadrupled the recipe and packaged them in cello bags for friends and family. To make them more festive, I added m&m chocolate speckled eggs to the mix for more color.

These were toasty, crunchy, sweet, cinnamony and quite addictive. The smell was amazing and a treat in itself. Make a bowl and leave on the counter for snacking or for gifts, nut lovers will be glad you did.

Honey Roasted Cinnamon Almonds from Stephanie's Kitchen

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups whole natural almonds

Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly roasted. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they do not burn. Stir occasionally.

In a medium saucepan, bring the butter and the honey to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add the almonds and simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

In a large bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the almonds from the saucepan to the sugar mixture. Mix until the almonds are well coated.

Transfer the almonds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put under the broiler for just a few minutes, just until sugar melts and caramelizes.

Let cool and break apart if necessary.

NOTE: There will be a little honey syrup leftover after you strain all your almonds. Let this cool completely and it will thicken into a nice caramel. Eat it with a spoon or drizzle over ice cream- delish!

Also, I'm notorious about burning anything/everything that goes under the broiler, so put it on low and pull up a chair and watch them or they'll burn and what a dissappointment that would be. Burnt nuts are never good.

One more thing, it may take a while, but you need to work in small batches. Strain a spoon full of nuts at a time and cost in the cinnamon sugar. Any more than that and they'll clump together and not be so pretty.

And my honey is finally home. I'm a happy lady :-)