I’m not usually a fan of almonds (or walnuts) but I’ve been sneaking handfuls of these sweet and spicy candied almonds all weekend. They’re totally addictive! The almonds are coated with a thick, crunch layer of caramelized brown sugar and cinnamon, with a hint of spicy cayenne – so, so, so good. They’re also ridiculously easy to make… which could be dangerous!

It warmed up a little this weekend, so I decided to make some simple salads to go along with the pizza we had for dinner. I topped some spring mix with diced pear, blue cheese, and these almonds and dressed them with blackberry-ginger balsamic vinegar and olive oil. They stole the show. If you topped the salad with some chicken, it would make a wonderful entree.

It might sound weird, but the almonds also have a breakfast cereal type of a flavor going on, an I think they’d be fantastic in granola or chopped and added to bran flakes. Of course, you can also eat them out of hand as a great snack.

The original recipe for these comes from Cyndi, over at Cookin’ With Cyndi. I was paired up with her for this month’s Secret Recipe Club and, although her cooking style is much different than mine, she she a lot fo fun looking recipes. Cyndi is a rockstar when it comes to planning ahead and spends a lot of weekends making meals that she freezes. Be sure to check out her blog for loads of low-carb recipes and look after the jump for more recipes from this month’s Secret Recipe Club participants.

Sweet & Spicy Almonds

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Almonds can be found in a few different parts of the grocery store, and the prices can vary drastically. I've found that it's best to steer clear of the nuts in the snack aisle – the best deals can be found in the baking aise (usually near the chocolate chips).

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Ingredients

• 1 [b]Egg White[/b]
• 1 tablespoon [b]Water[/b]
• 1/4 cup [b]Light Brown Sugar[/b], packed
• 1/3 cup [b]White Sugar[/b]
• 1 teaspoon [b]Kosher Salt[/b]
• 1 teaspoon [b]Cinnamon[/b]
• 1/4 teaspoon [b]Cayenne Pepper[/b]
• 6 ounces [b]Whole Almonds[/b]

Instructions

2. Heat oven to 300*F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or a piece of parchment.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg white until foamy but not stiff – 10-20 seconds using a hand-held egg beater. Stir in the sugars, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Add the nuts and stir until coated. Pour onto the baking sheet and spread out into a single layer.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice as the nuts cook. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for at least one hour. Break up the nuts before serving.
5. Stor in an air-tight container at room temperature.