These nuts are delicious! I’ve tried a lot of recipes to enhance the flavor of plain nuts but they were too bland. The lemon zest and smoked paprika are the secret ingredients that add just the right zing.

Roasted Party Almonds

parchment paper
1 ½ tablespoons loosely packed fresh rosemary leaves
1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 cups non-pariel, pasteurized or raw almonds
2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place rosemary, lemon zest and sea salt on a cutting board. Chop until rosemary is in small pieces.

In a medium bowl, combine almonds, oil, and paprika. Sprinkle with rosemary mixture. Stir to coat all ingredients. Pour onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes stirring every 5 minutes. Check the last few minutes to make sure almonds don’t burn. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking process. Cool slightly before serving. Enjoy! Makes 8-10 servings.

Published in The News and Neighbor on August 23, 2017