Almonds, Sweet

For freshness, buy shelled, unblanched nuts. To blanch, drop the almonds into boiling water, boil for 1 minute, drain, and slip off the loosened skins. Then spread the nuts on a baking sheet and dry them for 5 minutes in a 350°F oven. Blanched almonds may be slivered or ground to powder in a food processor. Store whole or ground blanched almonds in airtight containers in the freezer. To roast, see “Nuts, Roasting”; to toast, see “Nuts, Toasting.”