Friday’s Fixin’s: Honey Glazed Almonds

Honey Glazed Almonds

As you are reading this, I am at The Ranch 4.0 probably (hopefully!) hiking half-way up a mountain, huffing and puffing and utterly happy. In my absence, my good friend Maureen Abood has offered to do a Friday’s Fixin’s post this week. Maureen is a writer, (Lebanese!) chef and photographer. Her wonderfully inspiring blog is called Rose Water & Orange Blossoms. She has written guest posts here before and I am so grateful to her for her contribution this week.  Enjoy!

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Maureen Abood for The Silver Pen

There are many things about the Mediterranean diet, and specifically the Lebanese food I  grew up eating, that I’m grateful for: all of the fresh vegetables and herbs, the savory spices like cinnamon and sumac, the delicious and smart combinations of grains and legumes, and healthy fats like Extra Virgin olive oil. It’s not that surprising that our way of eating is considered one of the healthiest of them all.

But there’s another delight of our tables that has always captivated my attention, or rather, my full-on adoration, and that’s our use of, our LOVE of nuts of all sorts. Pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds…these grace the majority of our savory and sweet dishes to such a ‘wow’ effect. On my visit to Lebanon last year, it was fun to see glorious nuts sold absolutely everywhere, from specialty shops to street corners.

We especially love to honor visits with friends and family, large or small, with something refreshing to drink and a little (or great big!) bowl of salted, roasted nuts. Conversation just flows, and that family feeling abounds, whenever a taste of something good joins the mix.

For the holidays, I spice up my nut dish by roasting my favorite, the almonds, with an addictively delicious coating of raw honey, fennel, and dried red pepper flakes. Talk about BAM! They’re simple, so very yummy, and let’s not forget: very, very good for us!

Hollye has us all going on keeping our minds alert to the nutrition, the goodness, of what we eat.

Here’s how our Spicy Glazed Almonds do it for us:

1. Almonds are packed with vitamins and minerals. Hollye has mentioned that she loves to take raw almonds along when she’s on the road—a smart and tasty way to get some protein (an ounce, about 25 almonds, provides 12% of the day’s protein), along with Vitamins E and B. Plus calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
2. Almonds give us healthy fats, too, and phytosterols that help lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol.
3. Raw honey, in a word, rocks! My favorite comes from Pond Hill Farm in Northern Michigan. It’s creamy, and can be spooned right out of the jar. What flavor! Raw honey is honey in its purest form: it has not been filtered, strained or heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. That means it contains good bacteria, probiotics. While we’ll be baking it with the nuts at a high temp, it’s still going to be super healthy.
4. Raw honey is loaded with vitamins and minerals (along with the almonds, we’re really taking care of business!), and has powerful antioxidant properties.

I’m so looking forward to the holiday seasons ahead, with lots of family, friends—and plenty of wonderful treats like these glazed almonds to keep our hospitality as warm and generous as could be.

Honey Glazed Spiced Almonds

Be sure to get the nuts into an airtight container as soon as they are completely cooled to room temperature, so they stay crunchy. These are great for company, but also your own little snack, too!

1 tablespoon honey (raw or not)
1 cup raw almonds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried red chili pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the oven to 325⁰F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine the honey with about a teaspoon of water, stirring until very smooth and liquid. Add a touch more water if needed. Add the almonds and stir to coat completely. Add the fennel, pepper flakes, and salt, stirring until well-coated. Pour the almond onto the lined baking sheet (don’t include any of the extra honey mixture left in the bowl). Separate the almonds into a single layer and bake for about 18 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the nuts are light golden. Cool the nuts to room temperature, separating them with a fork. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.