Cinnamon Cocoa Candied Almonds

These are addicting. They are easy and quick, but look out--the cayenne gives them a nice kick to them. 

Cinnamon Cocoa Candied Almonds

• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for coating
• 2 cups raw almonds
• 3/4 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 3/4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Bring maple syrup, sugar, salt, and spices to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add almonds and stir to coat.
3. Spread almonds in a single layer on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool almonds completely, then break them apart.
4. Mix cocoa, powdered sugar and cinnamon in a large ziplock bag. Add almonds and shake until evenly coated.

Pastel Vasco

I had a hard time remembering to photograph this treat--too busy eating it!

 I can't begin to tell you how I've longed for this cake. Years and years of waiting...

There is a bakery on a corner of the narrow streets in the old town of San Sebastian, Spain, near the marina. Go through the glass doors of this bakery. Admire the multitude of magnificent pastries in the glass display case. Look for the petite, palm-sized cake topped with sliced almonds and dusted with powdered sugar. Smile to yourself. Order the pastel vasco from the woman behind the counter. Wait impatiently as she boxes the cake and wraps in its black and white stripped paper--and even more impatiently as she ties the whole thing with a lovely bow.

Say, "eskerrik asko" to the woman who helped you. Make your way to the marina, climb up on the thick old stone wall and prepare to have your cake. (I hope you are hungry.) Admire the water in the bay, the boats bobbing near the docks, the white sand beach curving in the distance, the laughing children at the playground, the warm summer breeze, the sunset lighting the windows of the shops, hotels and apartments. Take a bite.

This might just be my idea of a perfect evening. Part of my love for pastel vasco comes from the cake itself, but part surely comes from the experience of eating it in a town I love. If you cannot make it to San Sebastian any time soon, this dessert will be a good start.

It is rich--we're talking pastry cream here-- but not heavy or cloying. The almond flavor is perfect--present, but not overwhelming. The crunch of the toasted almonds on top compliments the creamy smooth filling. It is as if an almond croissant decided to be a pie.

My husband and I are taking our honeymoon in Spain and Portugal this summer. We will be in San Sebastian for five days. Dangerously close to the source of the best pastel vasco in the world. I might end up eating one of these each night. But you only live once, right?

Pastel Vasco

~Print Recipe~

• 1 pie crust (there is a long version, but I'm giving you the short version)

Pastry cream

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 large eggs yolks
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Pie filling

• Pastry cream from above
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

1. Start the pastry cream a day ahead. Bring the milk and 1/4 cup of the sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally until sugar dissolved.
2. Meanwhile: in a medium bowl, whisk the yolk to break them apart. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to the yolks, then sift in the remaining flour. Whisk to combine.
3. Whisk about a third of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture to temper the yolks. Add the yolk mixture into the milk, whisking constantly until the cream thickens and returns to a boil. Continue whisking for an additional 15 seconds while the cream boils.
4. Scrape the pastry cream into a glass or stainless steal bowl. Press plastic wrap to the surface of the cream and refrigerate until it has cooled completely, or over night.
5. When you are ready to bake the pie, set a rack to the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thickly butter a 9 or 10 inch pie pan and set aside.
6. To complete the filling, whisk the eggs with the almond meal and almond extract in a medium bowl. Add the pastry cream and carefully stir with a spatula to combine. (Do not whisk.)
7. Press the pie dough into the prepared pan. Add the filling. Top with a thick layer of sliced almonds. Bake pie until crust is a deep golden color, about 45 to 55 minutes.
8. Cool pie in pan on a rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature.

Fruit and Nut Trail Mix

About a month ago, I decided to make my own trail mix. I kept my eye on nuts and dried fruit every time I went to a grocery store, looking for good deals. I slowly accumulated the ingredients I wanted to use and finally got everything together to make it today.

Now, I wasn't totally sure that this is a good idea. I mean, it's easy enough to get some pre-made trail mix from the store. But, most things are better homemade and this is no exception. You can control the ingredients, so you don't have to have any cheap filler---just all of your favorites. You can control how sweet or how salty it is. You can decide whether or not to include chocolate...


I started with raw almonds from the Chico's Farmer's Market, raw pecans and roasted cashews from Costco, and dried blueberries and dried cherries from Trader Joe's. I just roasted my raw nuts, then tossed everything together for a filling, portable snack. I even pre-packed some so that I can throw this in my purse to nibble on when I'm running errands.

Fruit and Nut Trail Mix

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 2 cups almonds
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1 1/2 cups cashews
• 3/4 dried blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups dried cherries, roughly chopped

1. If your nuts are already roasted, you can skip this step. If your nuts are raw: preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, drizzle nuts with olive oil and toss to coat. (I used 1 tablespoon of oil for 4 cups of nuts.) Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cool on sheet.
2. In a large bow, mix together fruit and nuts. Taste to see if you want to add more of any ingredient for a different taste or texture combination. Enjoy!