Honey-Roasted Almonds

Our almonds are ripening early this year. Some are just starting to be visible as the velvet green husk opens up, whilst on other trees you just have to gently tickle the branches with a stick and they fall raining to the ground.

 Almonds are great added to recipes but they are also lovely to eat on their own as a snack. Honey-roasting adds a variation to snacking on almonds! This recipe requires salt and is actually more savoury than it sounds. Goes great with beer.

You will need:
10 oz / 280 g whole sweet almonds, shells removed but in their skins.
1 and 3/4 oz / 50 g white sugar
a generous 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sunflower oil

• Heat oven to 180 C. Place the almonds on a baking sheet or similar. Roast in the oven for approx 12 - 15 minutes (they may need turning once or twice). There will be a pleasing delicate nutty waft in the kitchen and they will be a tiny shade darker when they are ready. Remember that they will continue to cook a little when removed from the oven so do not let them brown too much.

• Whilst the almonds are cooking, mix the sugar and salt together in a bowl and leave to one side.
• In a small, non-stick frying pan, combine the water, oil and honey. Gently heat to a simmer and place the cooked almonds into this mixture, turning continuously.

• Continue to heat and turn the nuts in the honey mixture for about 10 minutes until it has reduced and it is starting to stick to the almonds.

The honey syrup has reduced and is coating the almonds

•   Turn out the heat and place one tablespoon of the combined salt and sugar over the almonds in the pan and continue to turn with a spatula.

• Tip the almonds out onto greaseproof paper and sprinkle the rest of the sugar / salt mixture over them.

• Once cooled, pull the almonds apart, as some of them will be stuck together. They are best served fresh. They will lose a bit of their crispness - but none of their flavour - if stored in an airtight container.