I adapted this recipe from Joy the Baker's blog. The original called for fennel seeds but I am not a big fan. Instead, I opted to use fresh rosemary. The nuts are very simple to make and can be adapted to your liking! I loved the finished look of the nuts, glossy with caramel and studded with rosemary and hot pepper flakes. These are definitely going into my holiday packages this year!1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon rosemary chopped very fine
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I used sea salt)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
a pinch cayenne
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw cashews
2 Tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix sugar, rosemary, salt, cayenne and pepper flakes in a medium sized bowl. Add the nuts and water and stir until coated. Pour onto the foil lined baking sheet and spread out evenly.
Bake the almonds for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir almonds around. Return to the oven and bake for another 17 minutes, checking and stirring the almonds 2 to 3 more times. Nuts will turn beautifully dark brown. Remove from the oven and separate with a fork. Cool and remove from the pan to a serving bowl or an airtight container for storage.
