Black Pepper Almonds

We thought you might enjoy this recipe with your friends and family this Thanksgiving. This is a wonderful treat to have out for guests to munch on between throwing the football around, bike rides, long walks, between sips of a delicious cocktail or glass of eggnog, and turning the pages of that recently released bestseller you got your hands on. Maybe even think about putting some of these in a bag to take with you during all that shopping you may be doing on Black Friday. Enjoy!

Black Pepper Almonds

1 Tablespoon table-grind black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup, plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
4 teaspoons water
2 1/2 cups whole almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly butter the foil with the 1 tsp of butter.

2. Mix the black pepper an salt together in a small bowl. Melt the remaining 1/4 c butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and 4 tsp water; stir until sugar disolves. ad the almonds; toss to coat. Cook over medium heat until syrup thickens and the almonds are well coated, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

3. Sprinkle half of the pepper mixture over the almonds. Transfer the almonds to the lined baking sheet, using a metal spatula to quickly separate the almonds. Sprinkle the remaining pepper mixture over the nuts. Bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.

4. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.