Brente Mandler loosely translates to ‘candied almonds’ in Norwegian, and is a yearly Christmas tradition to make in Norway. You will find these in Sweden and Denmark too and you can see these sweet and crunchy ‘brente mandler’ in the Christmas markets in Germany, where it’s common to add a touch of cinnamon to them. I love this addition so I’ve chosen to include it in my recipe I’m sharing with you here as well.

If you’re feeling extra decadent you could also coat them in chocolate… something I’d like to try next time I whip up a batch of these.

Every time I make brente mandler I always think that they shouldn’t be limited to only Christmas and that they’d be a perfect snack to have any time of the year. I think these almonds are wonderful for New Year’s Eve to munch on along with glasses of bubbly or whatever cocktails you are making to celebrate ringing in the new year.

While the recipe is fairly simple, the trick is to let the almonds be coated in the sugar over the right amount of heat while constantly stirring, so as to not burn the sugar and almonds. It requires a bit of patience but will be so worth it in the end!

If you want a touch of salt you can add some flaky Maldon sea salt in the end for a nice balance of sweet and salty goodness.

Brente mandler also make a beautiful and creative gift! Fill a mason jar, wrap a bow around it and you’ll have something delicious to give someone you care about.

BRENTE MANDLER

400 grams raw almonds
½ dl water
150 grams sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp vegan butter

Preheat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit. (200° Celsius). Spread the almonds on a baking sheet covered with parchment and toast for about 8 minutes.

Add the water, sugar, and vanilla extract/sugar in a medium pot and bring to a gentle boil.

Add the almonds and reduce the heat to about medium. This is where it becomes important to keep stirring to help the sugar crystallize and coat the almonds evenly. First, the sugar will “reappear” but if you continue to stir, it will melt again, this will take about 10-15 minutes depending on your stove/heat. You want the almonds to glisten and darken a bit.

When the sugar has melted the second time, add the butter and the cinnamon (alternatively a pinch of salt) and stir until it has properly melted. The butter will help keep the almonds from sticking together plus give them a bit of a decadent flavor and texture.

Pour the almonds back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet you used to toast the almonds. If they stick together, you can use two forks to separate them (be careful not to burn yourself!).

Let cool completely before you store them in an airtight container like a mason jar.

Keeps for about a month but I doubt they’ll last that long!

BRENTE MANDLER

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Author: Sunny Gandara | Arctic Grub

Ingredients

• 400 grams raw almonds
• ½ dl water
• 150 grams sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp vegan butter

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit. (200° Celsius). Spread the almonds on a baking sheet covered with parchment and toast for about 8 minutes.
• Add the water, sugar, and vanilla extract/sugar in a medium pot and bring to a gentle boil. Add the almonds and reduce the heat to about medium. This is where it becomes important to keep stirring to help the sugar crystallize and coat the almonds evenly. First, the sugar will “reappear” but if you continue to stir, it will melt again, this will take about 10-15 minutes depending on your stove/heat. You want the almonds to glisten and darken a bit.
• When the sugar has melted the second time, add the butter and the cinnamon (alternatively a pinch of salt) and stir until it has properly melted. The butter will help keep the almonds from sticking together plus give them a bit of a decadent flavor and texture.
• Pour the almonds back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet you used to toast the almonds. If they stick together, you can use two forks to separate them (be careful not to burn yourself!).
• Let cool completely before you store them in an airtight container like a mason jar.
• Keeps for about a month but I doubt they’ll last that long!