Gebrannte Mandeln
Gebrannte Mandeln: crunchy cinnamon-sugar roasted almonds
Gebrannte Mandeln are the warm paper cone you carry round a German Christmas market, from Munich's Marienplatz to the Striezelmarkt in Dresden, the stalls stirring copper kettles of almonds until the sugar crackles. At home they take one pan and twenty minutes, and a jar makes a good December gift. The sugar goes through three stages: syrup, then dry and sandy, then melted again into a shiny crust. The mistake most people make is giving up at the sandy stage, when it looks ruined; keep stirring and it melts back into a coating. Chef's tip: spread the almonds out on baking paper the second they are done and separate them with two forks, or they cool into one big brittle.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Line a tray with baking paper and have two forks ready. Put the 4 ½ oz caster sugar, ½ cup water, 1 tsp vanilla sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon in a wide, heavy frying pan and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat.
3 minStep 2: Add the 7 oz whole almonds, skin on and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. After about 6–8 minutes the water boils away and the sugar turns dry and sandy, coating the nuts in a dull crust. Keep stirring.
8 minStep 3: Turn the heat down to medium. Keep stirring for 4–6 minutes more as the sugar slowly melts again and turns glossy and a shade darker. You will hear the almonds crackle; they are done when most of the coating is shiny and caramel brown, with a little sandy sugar still clinging.
6 minStep 4: Tip onto the paper at once and pull the almonds apart with the forks. Leave 15 minutes to cool and harden. Keep in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gebrannte Mandeln take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 18 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of vanilla sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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