Sugared nut mix

Easy treat, less labor intensive than cookies, great for gifting. It looks lovely in packaged in glass or cellophane.

*Whole raw almonds
*Dried fruit: blueberries, cherries, currants, cranberries, pineapple, mango, etc. Pineapple and cranberries are cheapest and prettiest. Mango has gorgeous color. Blueberries taste awesome w/ the almonds. Any large fruit chunks should be snipped or chopped into pieces smaller than an almond.
*Sugar; turbinado, demerara, or plain ol' table sugar.
*Cinnamon

Roast two cups of almonds spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet at 350 for 20ish minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 10-15 minutes, until touchable with your bare hands.

Meanwhile, mix the white of one egg with one tablespoon of water. Set aside.

Make cinnamon sugar, using 1/4 - 1/2 Cup of sugar, and cinnamon to taste.

When cool enough to handle, put the almonds into a mixing bowl. Drop in a tablespoon of butter and mix it up with your hands, buttering all your nuts.

Add dried fruit - 1 cup to 1.5 cups. Using your hands, mix it up with the buttered nuts.

Mix in 1 Tablespoon of the egg white & water mixture. Mix it up good with your hands, making sure all the fruit and nuts are coated.

Add your cinnamon sugar to the nuts/fruit, starting with 1/4 cup, and adding more as you wish. I prefer to use a spoon at this point. Stir and distribute sugar throughout, mixing thoroughly.

When all the sugar has stuck to your nuts and fruit, spread it back out onto the cookie sheet in a single layer. Put in back into the 350 oven, and leave it in there for 10ish minutes, then turn off the heat. You can leave the nuts in the oven or take them out.

Let nuts cool, then store in airtight container.

I have not been in much of a holiday mood, so baking is out. This might be more my speed this year.

You can eat this without the residual sugar crash that comes from lemon bars, gingerbread men, and fudge. Not that I wouldn't love to have a chunk of smooth fudge right now.

I've found making these are a nice change of pace. I hope you enjoy them.

but the phrase "... buttering all your nuts..." just caught my attention.

And so..................

would serve as squirrel bait. It did not disappoint!

...... as a man, I am a bit hesitant to chime in on this thread. For fear of how my comments might be taken, given your graphic desciption of the process.

I will also admit to being more than a little intimidated by the relish with which you choose words and phrases to describe the process.

I'll just sit here with my legs crossed and whistle, if ya don't mind.

K?

SEE?

IT HAD TO HAPPEN!!!

same difference, different squirrels...

Cheers.

by Baldwin's "Schwette Balls."



Although the recipe is legitimate, my enthusiasm was sophomoric. 'Tis the season.

Who doesn't like sugared nuts? Buttered, sugared nuts?

:shrug:

For my oven, I need to shorten the baking times a little. I used about 1 tablespoon of (pretty old) cinnamon to 1/3 cup of brown sugar. I'll use more cinnamon next time.

On edit: sorry. No nuts comments.

And if they roast quickly in your oven, then that's all the better!

I'm off to Costco to buy another 3 pounds of almonds. I seriously underestimated how much I would need to gift our friends. That, and we keep eating it.