Roasted Spiced Almonds

Happy Tax Day! Hope you are already done with all that nonsense. Celebrate with a cocktail and some roasted spiced almonds. I have a love of most nuts. Almond, Walnut, Pecan, Pine, Macadamia, etc. .   (fyi-It is ridiculously difficult to write a post about a recipe like this without sounding filthy! Keep your minds out of the gutter folks and I’ll try my best not to give you too many innuendos!)I buy those little individual serving bags of the flavored almonds at the grocery store. And they are tasty and convenient because they are pre-portioned and quick to grab and go. But these are so easy to make and I get to control the seasoning to my specific taste. You could use any nut you like, too. I pre-measured some into little containers and they will be just as handy for me to grab and go this week.

They take about 25 minutes start to finish to make, if you don’t count the cooling time. Plus they would be perfect finger food for a cocktail party or a holiday party or whatever kind of party you like.

At Christmas my girlfriend gave me some granola crusted nuts that I loved. I like to think she planned ahead and used walnuts so I wouldn’t have to share. (Tim’s allergic.) I quickly polished those walnuts off and for months have thought about them. So I found the recipe she used and made some yesterday. While I was at it, I decided savory, spiced almonds would not be terrible so I threw together some seasoning I like. And I was right, they were the opposite of terrible. I had to force myself to stop munching them.

As far as tax day goes, we never wait till the last minute. Of course, we also usually get a return. If we had to pay it might be a different story.

My mom used to call me to tell me tales of their April 15th, 11:59pm tax drop off. My dad liked to wait until late at night on the 15th and drive to the post office to get it post marked just under the wire. Of course, those were the days before the US Postal Service was in dire financial straits and they used to be open late post marking taxes and serving donuts and the local news would do a story. If I remember correctly my dad made it onto the news 2 years in a row! He went for the excitement and free donuts, of course. My mom liked to feign embarrassment but I know she secretly loved it, too.

Roasted Spiced Almonds

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp hot sauce (I ALWAYS use Crystal Hot Sauce)

2 cups unsalted almonds

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl stir together the oil and hot sauce. Add  the almonds and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a small bowl mix together the sugar, salt and spices. pour over the almonds and stir to coat them all with the spice mixture.

Spread in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. The almonds will crisp up as they cool.