Mmm, cinnamon-vanilla candied almonds! So delicious around the winter holidays (or whenever)! And they're easy enough to make that I can whip up a batch with no problems!
It's more of a self-correcting process than a recipe. If you put in too much sugar, you'll end up with spiced sugar left over in the pan for coffee or other uses!
I'm no chef, but this is what I do:
Take a frying pan and add a cup of white sugar, "enough" cinnamon and vanilla, and enough water to liquefy it all. Set heat to medium-high and throw in a pound of raw almonds (shelled). Start stirring, coating all almonds. Once it starts bubbling, turn it down to medium. Don't stop stirring! The syrup will thicken and "catch," but you keep stirring until they dry and release. It probably takes about 10 minutes or so of stirring.
My second batch includes 5-spice powder, inspired by @katlieu's recipes.
And, hot off the stove top and in the foreground: the 5-spice almonds! Same recipe as the original, but I substituted 5-spice powder for half the cinnamon. It's a subtle difference in flavor, but it's tasty!
