Sweet and Spicy Almond Tapa

This is a fun, easy, tasty and nutritious addition to holiday cocktail parties or everyday lunchboxes!

1/4 cup raw sugar or maple syrup 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika 1.5 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 2 large egg whites 2 Tbs water 1 lb raw whole almonds (about three cups).  If you can find RAW Marcona almonds, that's best; do not use roasted or salted almonds.

Preheat oven to 275°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, preferably olive oil spray. Stir together raw sugar or maple syrup and spices in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk egg whites and water in a separate large bowl until foamy. Add almonds to the egg whites and stir to coat. Transfer the almonds to the spice bown and toss to coat.  Spread almonds evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the almonds for 30-40 minutes. Stir, reduce the oven temperature to 200° and bake until the almonds are dry and golden, about 30 minutes more. Let cool before serving, about 20 minutes. Tips Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or refrigerate for longer and pop in the toaster oven at 300 degrees for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Servings: 12 Yield: 3 cups

Cooking Times Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 1 hour

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (1.7 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients using Living Cookbook. Amount Per Serving Calories 226.78 Calories From Fat (66%) 148.85 % Daily Value Total Fat 17.8g 27% Saturated Fat 1.35g 7% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 167.06mg 7% Potassium 273.75mg 8% Total Carbohydrates 12.34g 4% Fiber 4.54g 18% Sugar 5.63g Protein 8.3g 17% Vitamin A 119.34IU 2% Vitamin B12 0.01mcg <1% Vitamin B6 0.06mg 3% Vitamin C 0.27mg <1% Vitamin D 0IU 0% Vitamin E 9.46mg 95% Vitamin K 3.19mcg 4%