When, in our house, the wonderful fragrance of cinnamon spreads, you know we’re almost there. Christmas.
Here is the recipe for my World Famous Cinnamon-Vulcanized Almonds.
You need:
1 cup almonds
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 table spoon ground cinnamon
1 tea spoon cardamom (optional)
1 huge-ass dash of salt
PATIENCE and STAMINA! (Like the nun told the sailor!!)
To make:
Put everything into a heavy pot with a thick bottom ( – the pot, not you!) – see how I’m using a Teflon wok here that is not thick-bottomed?? Well, it worked!
Bring to a boil and start stirring!
Stir.
Stir.
After about 20 (!) minutes or so, it starts to thicken. You just keep stirring! NEVER leave it. And keep the kids far, far away. This stuff is pure evil to get on yourself, hot-hot-hot.
It makes some rather pretty bubbles, as the water evaporates. And you just keep stirring.
THEN all of a sudden – the water is gone and the coating gets a vulcanized look. Keep stirring and take it off the heat once it looks “dry”. Spread it on the table on a silicon mat or non-stick paper. Allow to cool off just a bit before you taste one – they are mighty hot.
Ta-daahh!!
(Might as well make a big batch, they’ll be gone before you know it.)
I like to put them in a pretty jar and give some away for that homemade- high-quality-feel Christmas present.
Merry Christmas, my friend.
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