Spiced Spanish Almonds - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot paprika or 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 lb marcona almonds (about 3 cups) or 1 lb raw whole almond (about 3 cups)
cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 275\u00b0F Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Whisk brown sugar, cumin, paprika, thyme, salt and cayenne in a large bowl.
Whisk egg white and water in a medium bowl until foamy.
Add almonds to egg mixture 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 200F and bake until almonds are dry and golden, about 30 minutes more.
Let cool before serving, 15 to 20 minutes.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
NOTE: Spanish Marcona almonds have recently become more popular and more available. They're a little flatter than ordinary almonds, with a richer flavor. Always skinned, most Marcona almonds have already been sauteed in oil and lightly salted when you get them. For this recipe, select unsalted and oil-free nuts if you can, though either will work well. You can find them in specialty stores.