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Monday, November 3, 2014

Pesto Roasted Almonds


I’m loving these sunny, chilly days of November! Mainly because I can start using my oven without worrying if it’s going to make my home hotter than it already is and because now baking season officially begins for me! Oh how I love a toasty, warm home with delicious aromas coming from the kitchen.

It comes as no surprise that this recipe was inspired by my Basil Pesto recipe from last week because after I made it, I was scraping the insides of my blender trying to get out every last drop because it was just that good!



That’s when this idea popped into my head…how do I get all of this tasty pesto out of my blender and still be able to use it? Easy peasy, just add water!

So I added some water and made this delicious pesto paste that I proceeded to pour over my remaining almonds, tossed them into the oven, and BAM! It was created, my recipe for Pesto Roasted Almonds.
 

A healthy quick snack for on the go and that’s easy to make with a hint of basil and garlic. They also make for a delicious addition to any party platter and a great gift idea for any nut or pesto lover you might know.


Pesto Roasted Almonds

Ingredients

1 lb. whole, raw almonds

2 Tablespoons Basil Pesto

3 to 4 Tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Place pesto in a large mixing bowl, add water little at a time until you get a runny mix that is not too watery and maintains some paste so it can lightly stick to the almonds. You can always add more pesto or water, depending on your taste and how big a batch you're making.

Add in almonds and mix together until all almonds are coated with pesto mix.


Spread almonds over cookie sheet so they lay flat, not all bunched up.


Place into oven and cook for 15 minutes, this is half of your cooking time.

After 15 minutes, take pan out of oven and turn almonds over. Do this with the best of your ability, it won’t be easy but just a few flips with a spatula and move them around the pan will do, so they cook thoroughly.

Place back in oven and cook for remaining time or until mix is dry and crumbly over almonds.  Keep an eye on almonds after 15 minutes as you don’t want them to burn.

Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.


After almonds have cooled off completely, store in an airtight container.

*Helpful Hints*

- You can find the recipe for my Basil Pesto here.

- About 10 minutes after removing pan from the oven, you can sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese for extra flavoring.

- All measurements are US

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