Spiced, honey roasted almonds.

There's no doubt we love almonds in my home and usually keep a few kilos in hand. Not only are almonds good but they're also good for you. These honey roasted almonds are sweet, crunchy and have a spicy punch you're sure to love I guarantee. For a more classic look and taste, you can toss the almonds in a mixture or sugar, cinnamon, and salt. In my home everyone tries to eat healthy, so I left them as is.

Here are some almond facts you may not know.

The earliest varieties of almonds were found in China carried by traders down the ancient silk road to Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East.

The almond is botanically a stone fruit related to the cherry, the plum, and the peach--The Great Food Almanac, Irena Chalmers.

Distributing sugared almonds wrapped in tulle as a wedding favor is a tradition that dates back to early European history. These almond "bonbonieres" symbolize children, happiness, romance, good health and fortune.

There are 5,639 people in the U.S. listed on whitepages.com with the last name 'Almond'

Chocolate manufacturers use 40% of the worlds almonds (2008).

Almonds are actually stone fruits related to cherries, plums and peaches.

Japanese teenagers enjoy snacking on a mixture of dried sardines and slivered almonds. (ewwww)

It takes 1000 pounds of almonds to make 1 pint of almond oil.

Almonds are the most nutrient-dense tree nut. One ounce of almonds (20-25 almonds) contains 160 calories and only 1 gram of saturated fat and no cholesterol. Almonds are also an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, and a good source of protein and potassium.

The protein in almonds is more like the proteins in human breast milk of all the seeds and nuts, which is why it is the choice of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine as the base for its baby formula.



Ingredients
4 cups large raw almonds
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon hot cayanne pepper


Directions
Spread the almonds in a single layer in a shallow ungreased baking pan and place in cold oven. Bake at 350º F, stirring occasionally for approximately 10 minutes or until you can smell the nutty scent of almonds coming from your oven. The almonds will be roasted a second time, so don't over bake them. In a small heavy duty pan over medium low heat place your honey and spices and mix to combine. Stir the honey for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm and spices have blend in. In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, toss your warm almonds with the warm honey until fully coated. Spoon your almonds (in a single layer) onto a non stick baking sheet but make sure not to pour in any excess honey or you will come out with almond brittle. :) Bake the almonds in a 300* oven for approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until darken in color but not burnt. Allow the almonds to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing onto a non stick pan. The almonds can be pulled apart evenly or served as clusters. You can also give them a toss in a mixture or sugar, cinnamon, and salt.