A Taste of Elizabethan England

This fantastic recipe has supposedly been passed down from the fifteenth century and is the simplest of sweet-treats to make. To me, these honey-roasted almonds taste of Christmas markets in Prague, the warmth of the hearth and traditional sweet shops, all rolled into one deliciously sticky, nutty package.

You will need:
450g whole almonds (with the skin left on)
50g sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Water
2 tsp almond oil
½ tsp salt

Spread the almonds in a single layer in a shallow ungreased baking tray and place in a cold oven.
Bake at 180°C (Gas mark 4) for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are light brown in colour.
Set aside the roasted almonds.
Thoroughly mix the sugar and salt in a bowl.
In a saucepan, mix the honey, water and oil and bring to the boil over a medium heat.
Add the roast almonds to the honey mixture and stir constantly on the heat until all of the liquid has been absorbed. This should take about five minutes.
Transfer the almonds to a medium-size bowl into which some sugar mixture has been sprinkled.
Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the almonds and toss until they are evenly coated.
Spread the almonds out onto baking paper to absorb any excess moisture.
When cool, store at room temperature, in an air-tight container.

These honey-roasted nuts should keep for up to two weeks but I can guarantee, if your friends and families are anything like mine, they won’t last that long!