Salted Almonds
- 8 oz.wt. blanched whole almonds
- 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil or melted butter
- Parchment or greaseproof paper
- 3 tablespoons coarse salt
- Cayenne pepper
In the morning, heat oven to 300 degrees F.
Put oil in flat baking dish just large enough to hold the almonds in a single layer. Add the almonds and stir around to coat the almonds with oil.
Place almonds in the oven and leave for about 45 minutes, until the almonds are a pale toast color.
Spread salt on a fairly large sheet of parchment paper. Empty toasted almonds onto the paper. Swish them around in the salt. Gather up the corners of the paper and twist them so that you have a tightly fastened parcel. If necessary, use a couple of rubber bands to keep the parcel together. Set aside on a rack for five or six hours.
Put the almonds in a sieve and shake them free of excess salt. Place in a serving dish, or an airtight storage container. Over them sprinkle an infinitesimal amount of cayenne.
Yield: about 2 cups (16 fl.oz.)