Burnt almonds (brända mandlar) is another name for almonds covered in burnt/caramelized sugar. These almonds are served hot on street stands at Christmas markets in Sweden during the holiday season. The almonds are completely addictive: crunchy and sweet with a hint of cinnamon. They are perfect to serve with a holiday cocktail or simply as a delicious snack. The method here is very simple, it takes some time to make these, but it's well worth it. To just add cinnamon turns out great, however for even more flavor, try to add some chilipowder or perhaps some ground ginger, garam masala or Chinese five spice powder, there are so many possibilities.

Standard Measure Ingredients

• 3/4 cup White Sugar
• ~ 1 cup Whole Almonds
• 3 1/4 tablespoons Water
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

Method

Bring all the ingredients together in a pot, preferably with a thick bottom. Cook on medium heat until the water has boiled away and the sugar has crystallized (become dry). Stir frequently.

Continue to cook on the stove until the sugar has melted a second time, but only for so long as the sugar is still clumped around the almonds.

Pour the nuts out on a tray or a plate. Let cool and separate.

This year, instead of discarding your pumpkin seeds once the carving party is over, why don't you roast them and turn them into a tasty, nutritious snack! It's really easy and of course the flavoring possibilities are endless!

To make sure the seeds cook evenly and get salted right through, I prefer to boil them in some salted water for a few minutes and then roast them. For spices, you could really mix anything together, but I thought some garam masala would flavor the seeds nicely.

Once the are cooked you can eat them right away. Some people prefer to peel/crack them, while others enjoy them just like they are. Either way, they are a perfect snack. Don't just throw away your seeds, that's such a waste since these are easy to make and quite tasty.

Ingredients:

• Seeds from one pumpkin (about 1 cup)
• Water
• salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala

Method:
Boil seeds in salted water for about ten minutes. Dry the seeds. Whisk the egg white with the garam masala and some salt, and add the seeds. Mix well until all seeds are coated.

Bake on a sheet pan in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden. Once they are out of the oven, you could add a little extra garam masala and salt if they need it.

Store in an air-tight container.

This is an excellent way to make popcorn - easy, tasty, cheap and no cleanup. The round shape of the work bowl allows the popped kernels to rise to the sides and the uncooked ones to fall to the bottom as the bowl is shaken, thus resulting in more popped kernels and fewer burned ones.

Servings: One big bowl (about 2-3 servings depending on how many popcorn you eat) Ingredients: 1/2 cup of uncooked popcorn kernels, white or yellow 3 tbsp of oil (preferably butter-flavored popcorn oil, otherwise neutral-flavored oil such as peanut oil) 1 tsp finely crushed salt (either through blender or in a mortel)

Method: Put oil, kernels and salt in an 6 quart stainless steel work bowl. Cover well with aluminum foil and poke a few holes with a fork. Put over medium-high heat and shake continually either by holding the bowl with tongs or with oven mitts. Continue until popping has ceased and remove from heat. Uncover the bowl and let cool before serving from the same bowl.