Rosemary-Provence Herbed Almonds — great gift!

I make these almonds every year for Christmas gifts. And every time, have to make double/triple batches, because they inevitably get eaten before packaging. They’re easy, save well for a couple weeks, and are deeee lish, if I say so myself. Enjoy!

Rosemary Herbed Almonds

4 cups raw, whole almonds

4 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. dried rosemary

1 Tbs. herbs de provence (if not available, substitute more rosemary)

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Crush the dried herbs with a mortar and pestle or use the back of a spoon.  Heat the olive oil in the microwave for 20 seconds, add crushed herbs and mix together.

Pour  the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet.  Add the herbed olive oil and stir until all the nuts are coated.  Spread the almonds in a single layer, and place in the oven at 325 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

I use two timers for this.  One I set at 25 minutes, the other for five.  I re-set the 5 minute timer each time I stir, and keep the 25 minute one, so I don’t lose track of the overall time.  After 25 minutes, taste an almond to see if it’s crunchy.  Don’t over cook the almonds.

When done, let cool, then add salt and stir.  Allow to cool for 1 hour before packaging. Keep stored in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

My super talented pal, Cathe Holden made the label template, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.