Cinnamon and Cocoa Roasted Almonds
By Liv Ren | October 30, 2011
What a crazy weekend!
Last night I went to sleep with no electricity, and this morning woke to at least two inches of snow on the ground outside. Is this really October??
Thankfully, the electricity returned this morning, and we’re all safe in our undamaged home. However, I know that many across the Northeast are facing downed trees and power lines, so I hope you’re staying safe and warm.
Yesterday, I grabbed brunch with a friend, and while it was raining when we went into the diner, by the time we left, the skies were filled with giant flakes of blinding snow.
And despite the weather, I still had to go to work. At a frozen yogurt shop. Where there were actually customers … crazy college students!
But despite the dangerous driving and frigid temperatures, it was actually kind of exciting to be a part of this weather phenomenon.
The snow also provided a perfect opportunity to break out the cinnamon and cocoa, flavors that, for me, are synonymous with cold weather.
I’m addicted to Emerald’s Cocoa Roasted and Cinnamon Roasted line of almonds. But with these two recipes for your own homemade versions, you’ll never have to spend $6 for flavorful almonds again.
I used this recipe for cinnamon-roasted almonds from AllRecipes, which worked well with some substitutions. I switched out the water for vanilla extract, doubled the amount of cinnamon, switched out white sugar for dark brown, and reduced that amount to 1/3 cup.
And for the cocoa-roasted almonds, I used this recipe from Clean Eating Chelsea. I kept everything pretty much the same, but switched the maple syrup for 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
However, these recipes are not foolproof against burning! So keep an eye on your oven, stirring often and, unlike me, not getting too distracted.
And as much as I’d love to curl up on my couch with a bowl of these almonds, a cup of hot chocolate and a captivating novel, I’ll have to dig my car out of the snow and head to another day of work.
So I hope you make these almond recipes and enjoy your day for me!
Here’s to a safe and white Halloween!
