Fried Almond Wedding Favors

Looking for a simple and elegant wedding favor idea, I came across this recipe for Fried Herbed Almonds and new I wanted to try making them. The challenge turned out to be finding blanched almonds. I could only find raw almonds at my local grocery store, so I decided to blanch them myself, which turned out to be quite time-consuming. I would highly recommend buying almonds already blanched if you are making a big batch for gifts or favors. Buy them in bulk here.

Despite the challenges mentioned above, frying almonds gave them a satisfying crunch accompanied by the aromatic flavor of fresh thyme and sea salt. Plus, this recipe can be made up to two weeks ahead of time! The perfect favor to celebrate newlyweds. Some say, “love is sweet” but I say, “love is savory!”

Fried Herbed Almonds

From Cook Like A Champion.

• 2 cups *blanched almonds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh time
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

* If you can’t find blanched almonds, you can make them yourself by placing raw almonds in a bowl and pouring boiling hot water over them. Let sit for about one minute then drain and rinse with cold water. Turn nuts onto a tea towel. Squeeze each almond between fingers to slip the skins off. If you find that not all the skins slip off easily, you can repeat the blanching process and try again.

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium (not medium-high) heat. Add almonds and cook until fragrant and a light golden color, about 10-12 minutes. (My almonds turned out much darker I think because the heat was a little too high.)

Stir in thyme and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste, then pour onto a cookie sheet and let cool completely. Store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

To package my almonds I used small window tin-tie bags decorated with the new Chalkboard style labels. I added a small piece of twine and a sprig of fresh thyme for extra decoration.

Used In This Project:

• Square Labels • I chose the new Chalkboard style.
• Small Circle Labels • I chose the new Chalkboard style.
• Rectangle Labels • I chose the new Chalkboard style.
• Window Tin-Tie Bags • I chose the small bags in Kraft.