Brined Almonds

3 cups water
2 tbsp salt
2 cups raw almonds

Bring the water to a boil and pour into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt and let the water come to room temperature, then add the almonds. Cover and let soak at room temperature for 6-8 hours. After soaking, the almonds can be baked or the bowl placed in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours until ready to use. The boiling water can also be added directly to the almonds, left at room temperature for 30 minutes, then placed in the refrigerator to soak.

When ready to bake, drain and rinse the almonds and spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (If desired, you can pinch off the almond skins before baking.) Place the almonds on the baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with salt, than bake for 2 1/2 hours, stirring once halfway through. Allow the almonds to cool completely before storing.

Spiced Almonds

Before brining, add the following to the water and salt:

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
4 whole cloves

When ready to bake, don't rinse the almonds when draining - they should be coated with a sticky mixture of the spices after being drained. Spread this mixture evenly across the almonds and remove the whole cloves before baking. Bake using the directions above.