So, in my last post, I mentioned that Larry is not the world’s biggest fan of chocolate. He is, on the other hand, rather fond of treats like these Chili Toasted Almonds.
I can’t say that I blame him, because they are awfully good. Maybe you want to whip up a Valentine’s treat for someone in your life who likes things more spicy than sweet? I think these almonds would be a perfect fit for that kind of thinking. Almonds are also very good for you, so you will also be sharing some health benefits, right?
I think our favorite thing about these almonds, is not just that they are toasty and crunchy, but the spicy kick they carry. You can easily control just how spicy they are, to suit your own tastes. I often use plenty of chipotle chili powder when I make them, which is pretty spicy. You can tone that down by using a milder kind of ground chili – like Mexico, Ancho, or California variety ground chili. Plain old grocery store chili powder will work just fine as well. Grocery store brands do sometimes include some cumin or other spices as well, so you will want to taste whatever you have, to see if you need to add more of the other spices listed to get a flavor you’ll enjoy.
I use a lot of almonds, because I often add them raw to breakfast smoothies, and they can be rather expensive. I often end up getting them on Amazon, and I have never been disappointed with the ones I have gotten there. Just read the reviews of other buyers, to see what they have to say. Prices can very a lot from one purchase to the next on there, so here is a search result for bulk almonds on Amazon. Lots of options there for you, and it’s a kind of food that will never be locally grown for most of us, so I go for economy, since they have to come from someplace far away anyway.
Toasting almonds could not be easier. It can be done without oil, but then the salt and spices don’t stick at all, so I use a minimal amount of olive oil to toast mine.
- 8 ounces raw whole almonds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon ground chipotle peppers [or other ground chili of your choice]
- Preheat the oven to 400º
- In a medium bowl, combine the almonds and oil, until all of the nuts are coated with the oil. You can do this directly on the baking sheet as well.
- Spread the oil coated almonds on a heavy baking sheet and place in the preheated oven.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
- Toast for 5 minutes then stir the almonds and return to the oven.
- Toast another 5 minutes. The almonds should be giving off a nice toasty aroma by now. If not, stir again and toast another 3 or 4 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from the oven, stir the almonds, and shake the spice and salt mixture over them. Stir to even season the nuts.
- Return the pan to the oven for another 2 minutes.
- Cool the nuts completely before storing in a tightly sealed container.
I don’t know – it’s not chocolate, but these still look like a mighty tasty Valentine’s day treat. Or for any day. My Valentine certainly thinks so.
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