Cocoa Candied Almonds

This story starts at costco, as all good stories do. They were out of the roasted, salted almonds in the two pound box, so...
My dad bought the 3 pound bag of raw almonds.

Figuring we could bake with them, or roast them ourselves, or whatnot.

This is dangerous. We ate more than a pound in probably 2 weeks, and there are 3 of us. And I'm sure I ate more than a third of that, too.

They're sweet and salty, crunchy, a treat but still a snack, and eminently grabbable on a pass through the kitchen.

All it takes is a little bit of aggressive whipping of egg whites and sugar to make the crunchy meringue that will shield the nuts in a protective, chocolaty armor. Cocoa powder adds that somethin'-somethin' and mm mm good factor. Joy adds a hint of cayenne, which you can do, but we don't eat spicy things at home so I added a bit of cinnamon instead.

So run to your nearest bulk nuts seller (ewwwww) and make these in your kitchen today. They will last longer than cookies, but not that much longer. They will sustain the 3pm hunger crash. They will satisfy the chocolate cravings.

[You know they say that if you're craving chocolate, your body really wants the fat from the cocoa butter, and that you can "satisfy" that craving with peanut butter? Um, I think these are an even better option.]

These almonds make a great World Cup snack, too!

Cocoa Candied Almonds
Yield: a two week supply for 3 ravenous people

Ingredients:

• about 3 cups raw almonds (I used a bit more, probably 4 cups, and there was PLENTY of meringue for all of them)
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used dutch process, because guess what? We have a costco thing of that too.)
• a pinch of cayenne or cinnamon, according to your tastes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. [I forgot to do this step, and they turned out great, so if you don't have time, skip this:] Roast almonds on a baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool while you make the meringue.
3. Put butter in a rimmed baking sheet (lining with foil makes for easy cleanup later) and melt in the oven for 5-7 minutes, making sure that the milk solids don't burn. Remove and set aside.
4. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl and with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt until frothy. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until white, glossy, and almost at stiff peaks.
5. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cocoa powder, and spice, and mix again (slowly at first) to combine.
6. Add the almonds and stir to coat evenly. Spread in the baking sheet with the melted butter in an even layer. 
7. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the coating has darkened in color and is crisp and dry. Remove and let cool before storing in an airtight container.

Recipe from the Joy the Baker Cookbook (love.)