Blogmas Day 17 Maple Syrup Roasted Nuts Recipe

 Welcome to Blogmas Day 17!  I don't know about you but, for me, the Holiday Season is always associated with nuts for some reason.  Is it because of the proliferation of nutcrackers in holiday decor?  I just love roasted nuts and the following recipe yields a bowl of crunchy goodness that has a mouthwatering balance of the salty and the sweet.  However, if your tastes lean more towards the spicy, you could experiment with ground pepper and chili flakes.  Herbs work well with roasted nuts as well. I would recommend staying away from herbs with delicate leaves as they will likely just char.  Search out herbs with woody, twiggy leaves like rosemary, for example, as they are more robust and can withstand the heat of the oven.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole almonds

3 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons unsalted melted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a bowl, combine the ingredients.  I used almonds but you could use any nut that you prefer such as hazelnuts and even combine seeds such as sunflower seeds. Spread the mixture over a silicone baking mat.

Place the tray on the middle rack.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Turn the nuts at the 10 minute mark.  Check every 5 minutes to make sure they don't burn.  

The smokiness of the maple syrup combined with the vanilla extract and the roasted almonds produces a magical flavour profile.  Packaged into a pretty airtight jar with a tag or label describing the ingredients, they make a delicious gift.