Cinnamon Sugar Almond Recipe

In case you are new to my corner of the InterWebs (in that case, WELCOME), you may not know that for the past few years I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to work part time from home (major props to my sugar daddy hubby who helps support the pup and I). With that said, when the holidays come around I don't really need to worry about buying gifts for co-workers (Walt the Wiener Dog can't read a calendar so doesn't know when he should be expecting a gift from us). The hubby, on the other hand, is fortunate enough to have an office job with tons of amazing co-workers. I realize gift giving is not a "requirement" per say, but the holidays are a great time to show extra appreciate to those around you. Well, let's just say when you have quite a few members on your team the costs can add up rather quickly.

This past Christmas I decided that instead of buying gifts, I would do homemade gifts for the hubby's co-workers. Cookies and brownies are always a welcomed treat, but I thought I'd switch it up a bit and do something different. I had really been digging the cinnamon sugar almonds from the grocery store around that time, so I figured I'd try my hand at trying to make some myself. (#RealTalk: Homemade or store bought, I would HIGHLY recommend you pre-portion your nuts in individual serving sizes so you don't eat an entire batch/ canister in one sitting... but maybe you have more self control than I do ;))

I found a recipe online (I think I came across it on Pinterest, but since I wrote it down on a piece of paper I don't know who to credit for the original recipe) and gave it a go. Let's just say they were scrum-didily-umptious! Not only were they tasty (and somewhat dangerous because I could inhale tons at a time), but the cooking process made the house smell delicious as well! All of the hubby's co-workers raved about the nuts and I've had a ton of folks ask for the recipe since so I thought I'd put it together in a blog post so I can easily share it with all of you. They take maybe 10 minutes to make and are so yummy (not to mention, they don't have any preservatives or funky ingredients like store-bought ones may have)! 

(If you are giving these as a gift, add a gift tag with a pun like "We're NUTS about You!" or "Have a SWEET Holiday!".)

Cinnamon Sugar Almonds

Ingredients

• 3 cups raw whole almonds 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 cup water 

Instructions

1. Cover a large cookie sheet or pan with parchment paper; set aside. This will be used in the cooling process.
2. In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, combine the sugar, cinnamon and water until the sugar has dissolved. 
3. Slowly add the almonds into the mixture and stir, making sure to completely coat the nuts with the mixture. Once the almonds have been added, you need to continue to stir constantly until they're done. 
4. After a few minutes of stirring, you will notice the syrupy mixture starting to thicken. After about 5 minutes of stirring, the sugar will begin to crystallize and have an almost sandy consistency. Once the sugar has crystallized on the almonds, you can remove the skillet from the heat. 
5. Carefully pour the almonds onto the parchment paper covered pan and allow them to cool. {In my opinion, waiting for them to cool is the hardest part of the whole process. #PatienceIsAVirtue #ButItIsAlsoDifficult}

                    Nutrition Information -- Yield: 12 // Serving Size: 1/4 cup
                    Amount Per Serving -- Calories: 225 // Total Fat: 14g // Saturated Fat: 1g // Trans Fat: 0g // 

                    Cholesterol: 0mg // Sodium: 0mg // Carbohydrates: 22g // Fiber: 4g // Sugar: 17g // Protein: 6g

WARNING: These are tasty and slightly addictive. Like I mention, I portion them out ahead of time so we don't eat the whole batch at once. On a slightly more serious note, I do realize raw almonds are pricey, so this isn't the cheapest homemade gift ever (I also bought mason jars to put the nuts in), but man is it delicious and I promise the receiver of them will be overjoyed (unless they're allergic to nuts, of course, and if that's the case, I'd recommend a pair of socks instead)!

What is your favorite nut?