Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

Ingredients

• 1 pound almonds
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• maybe 1 tablespoon cold water
• nonstick spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250F
2. Beat egg white until frothy. Mix in water and vanilla to egg. Add almonds to egg mixture and fully coat the almonds.
3. In a different mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, salt and cinnamon until well mixed.
4. Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the almonds and stir well until all the almonds are evenly coated. Try to break up any large clumps of coating (if you don’t want to eat them later).
5. Lightly grease the cookie sheet by spraying with non-stick spray or wiping with oil.
6. Spread the coated almonds evenly onto the greased sheet, and gently shake the pan back and forth a few tomes so they’re in one layer. You may need to use two pans if your cookie sheet isn’t big enough.
7. Place the pan in the preheated oven and roast for a total of one hour, stirring twice (20 min. intervals)
8. Roast for an hour, and allow them to cool. After cooled keep them stored in an airtight container.

From Instructables.com

Haven't made it yet

Carmalized Banana's

Ingredients

• Firm, just ripe bananas
• Sugar

Instructions

Slice each banana lengthwise. Place on foil or a foil-lined roasting dish or sheet pan. For each banana, sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar (you can use more or less depending on the size of the banana and your personal taste) onto the cut side of the banana – and go to blowtorch town. Take your time…hold the blowtorch about 3-5 inches away and slowly move the flame around the banana. Keep the blowtorch moving all over and over and over again until the sugar caramelizes and turns a lovely shade of nutty brown. Delish.

From Lisi's Luscious Desserts
First made 05/03/2010

Lavender Cremè Brûlée

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream , preferably not ultrapasteurized
• 1/2 stalk fresh lavender or 3 tablespoons dried lavender intended for cooking
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar ("sugar in the raw")

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring milk and cream to a boil, monitoring it closely so it doesn't boil over. Remove from the heat. Add lavender, and allow lavender to infuse the cream for one hour at room temperature. Strain mixture into a clean saucepan. Bring to a boil again and remove from heat.
2. Preheat oven to 275°F. In a mixing bowl, whisk the yolks and granulated sugar until just combined. Temper the egg mixture by very slowly whisking a small amount of warm lavender cream into the eggs. Take your time with this step so that the yolks don't scramble. Once the egg mixture and cream are roughly the same temperature, whisk the remaining egg mixture into the cream.
3. Divide custard among four 4-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish or roasting pan. Fill dish or pan with water so that water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins and transfer to the oven rack. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes. During the last 10 minutes, check frequently for doneness: when fully baked, the crème brûlées will be firm and will wiggle just slightly when shaken. Remove ramekins from water bath and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
4. Before serving, sprinkle each dessert with 1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar. If you own a propane torch, hold the torch about 8 inches from the custard's surface and flame the sugar into a golden brown, brittle curst. Alternatively, place ramekins under a preheated broiler and broil until sugar has caramelized, 1 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully: sugar turns from light brown to black quickly. Serve immediately.

Serves 8; From Oprah.com

First made with Claire Russell, 04/12/10