Why it works: Almond and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,679 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Candied Almonds
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Put the almonds in the oven at 180 °C for a few minutes to toast them.
Make the coating
Pour the water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, then sprinkle in the sugar. Place over a low heat, and stir until the mixture thickens.
Add the colouring. Stir in the almonds so that they get a nice coating.
Cool
Spread out the almonds on some baking paper, separate the almonds using a fork, and let them cool a bit.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Almond | 1 almond (1.2g) | 7 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Almond + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,679 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Blanched almonds
- Provide the crunchy base that the sugar coating clings to and sets around.
- Icing sugar
- Dissolves into the water and cooks into a thick syrup that hardens into a sweet, crisp coating.
The step that matters
Thickening the sugar syrup over low heat. Sugar syrup can turn grainy or burn if it gets too hot or is overcooked. Stirring over low heat until it thickens keeps it smooth enough to coat the almonds evenly.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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