Christmas Spiced Honey Roast Almonds (includes Thermomix instructions)

A delicious treat, perfect for serving up to guests with festive drinks, or packing up for Christmas gifts in pretty jars.

Beware, these are incredibly more-ish! And pretty easy to make too, so don't say I didn't warn you!

They do last a few weeks, but I don't think you'll be needing to worry about that - more about not eating them all in one sitting!

You can substitute your favourite nuts if you'd rather not use almonds, just keep an eye on them in the oven. Skin on almonds work particularly well, as the glaze adhers to the crinkly skin of the almond nicely.

Ingredients

• 500g raw almonds (skin on)

For the glaze

• 50g salted butter (or use coconut oil and a pinch of salt for dairy free)
• 80g honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• Small pinch cayenne pepper (or up to ¼ tsp if you want it spicy)

For the sugar coating

• 130g sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1tsp cinnamon

Method
1. Preheat oven to gas mark 5, and line two large trays with non-stick baking paper (and cut a further two sheets of baking paper and set aside)

2. Weigh out the ingredients for the coating, mix thoroughly, and set aside in a lidded container large enough to shake your nuts in! (Use two if necessary)

3. Add all the ingredients for the glaze (excluding the almonds or the sugar coating) to a pan and heat for a few minutes until melted together [Thermomix: add to the bowl and cook 3 minutes / Varoma / Speed 1].

4. Add the almonds, and stir in until thoroughly coated [Thermomix: add the almonds and stir in 30 seconds / Reverse / Speed spoon (slowest speed)].

5. Divide between the two trays and spread out into a single layer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, removing every 5 minutes to mix and turn the nuts (bring in from the edges to the middle etc.), until you can see the coating has just started bubbling a tiny bit on the nuts, and it has become like sticky caramel – but be careful not to burn them. The timing will depend on your oven.

6. Tip the nuts into your container, quickly swap the old baking paper for the fresh baking paper on the trays, and then shake your nuts very briefly until they’re thoroughly coated (remember, they’re HOT, so wear oven gloves or similar if your container has thin walls). Don’t shake for too long, or instead of being coated in pretty crystals of sugar and salt, your nuts will look wet and brown and not so pretty! (However, you can rectify this if you gave some to your other half to shake and they shook for too long, by sprinkling a little more sugar over them as soon as you’ve spread them out on your trays.)

7. Spread the nuts out over the lined baking trays, and leave until completely cool. Store in airtight containers. They make pretty Christmas gifts in jars and will keep for a while.