Recipes excerpted from Party Nuts! by Sally Sampson. Photography by Duane Winfield. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Copyright 2002. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe.

Hot Cayenne Tabasco Almonds

The heat from these fiery nuts doesn’t hit right away. It shows up just when you have finished the nut, which makes you want more. And then it happens again. And again. Yes, they are addictive. Dry mustard, also called powdered mustard, should really be called ground mustard seed. It seems as if it should be dehydrated prepared mustard, but in fact you use dry mustard to make prepared mustard. It’s sort of backward.

2 cups raw whole almonds, blanched or skin on
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (any variety)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place all the ingredients, except the salt, in a large bowl and toss until the nuts are well coated.

3. Transfer the nuts to the prepared sheet and arrange in a single layer. Place in the oven and cook, stirring every 15 minutes, until the nuts are darkened but not burnt, about 45 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven, immediately loosen the nuts with a metal spatula, sprinkle evenly with the salt, and set aside to cool before serving.

Makes 2 cups.

If you’re sipping: Cool these down with an ice-cold beer.