Cinnamon Sugar Almonds

Ever seen those cinnamon sugar almond carts in the mall and they smell SO good? I always want to buy some when I walk by and smell that cinnamon scent. But why deal with the mall crowds when you can make them yourself?

I served these at 2 parties and everyone thought I bought them! They were THAT good! They also make the house smell amazing : )

Adapted from here

Ingredients:
• ⅓ cups & 2 tablespoons water
• 1-⅓ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups almonds (Cashews also work. I made a batch of those as well.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan, add the water, 1 cup of sugar and the cinnamon and stir. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Be sure to keep mixing so it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom.

Add the almonds, raise the temperature to high and keep stirring constantly until the water is boiled away.

Turn the heat back to medium-low to keep the sugar from browning too fast. Keep mixing until the almonds start to have an even shiny coat.

Add the rest of the sugar and the vanilla and keep stirring. There may be some popping when you add them, but that's perfectly fine!

Keep stirring until the almonds are shiny, but still a bit lumpy with clumps of sugar. When this starts to happen, take them off the heat and pour them on sheets of parchment paper. Let them cool completely before serving or storing.

Pig out!

Perfect for a holiday party, little gifts, or just for yourself to snack on!