Cinnamon Almonds

In need of some road snacks for a long Thanksgiving drive?  These cinnamon almonds are perfect!  Sweetened, sugary, cinnamon-coated almonds have long been a favorite of mine for road trips, and as it turns out, they're pretty easy to make in very large batches. 

I've tested out a couple of different recipes for these now, and I like this one the best.  And in addition to the cinnamon, I've added some pumpkin pie spice to help ring in the holiday season.  Maybe we'll even get some snow!

Songs about sugar, cinnamon, and spice (and, well, everything nice) are plenty.  But even with a lot to choose from, here's one of my favorites: the Stone Roses' "Sally Cinnamon."  (It makes a good song for a road trip mix-tape, too.) 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Ingredients:
--3 c. whole almonds, unsalted and unroasted
--3 egg whites (generally, 1 egg white per cup of almonds)
--1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
--1 tbsp. cinnamon
--1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until medium peaks form.  Fold in almonds, coating fully in the egg whites.  In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.  Fold almonds (now coated in egg whites) into the cinnamon sugar mixture until covered. 

On a parchment-lined baking sheet (I use a larger jelly roll pan), spread almonds evenly into one layer.  During baking, flip the almonds just once to ensure even baking and to avoid burning.  Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes, or until sugar mixture has crisped onto the almonds.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

What to do with all of these almonds?  You can pile these into a car-ready container, or you can scoop them into small canning jars and tie them with a ribbon for a cute holiday gift.  Or, of course, you can eat them directly off the parchment paper by the handful.  Your call.