Spanish Spiced Almonds

Tis the time of year for holiday parties and festivities. The most wonderful time of the year in my book. What could be better than eating good food and drinking a few festive drinks with family and friends? What goes better with a festive cocktail then a little spicy crunch? These Spanish spiced almonds are the perfect accompaniment. They also make great hostess gifts, and who doesn't need at least a couple hostess gifts over the holidays? You might want to make an extra batch of these...they are extremely addictive!

Spanish Spiced Almonds (adapted from Eating Well)

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon water

1 pound (about 3 cups) Marcona or raw whole almonds

Preheat oven to 275°F. Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.

Whisk brown sugar, cumin, paprika, rosemary, salt and cayenne in a large bowl. Whisk egg white and water in a medium bowl until foamy. Add almonds and stir to coat; pour through a sieve to drain off excess egg white. Transfer the almonds to the bowl of spices; stir well to coat. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the almonds for 30 minutes. Stir, reduce the oven temperature to 200° and bake until the almonds are dry and golden, about 30 minutes more. Let cool before serving, about 20 minutes.

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