Smoked Almonds Question

[Capehog]

First I am very happy to have found this site while surfing around and hope to add to the site as often as possible.

I have made another batch of smoked almonds tonight using the following recipe:

1 lb raw almonds skin on
2 tablespoon mesquite smoke
2 tablespoon habanero sauce
1 quart water
BBQ rub to coat

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the water with smoke and habanero and add almonds to soak for 20 minutes. Drain well. Add bbq rub to coat. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Spread almonds on sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Stir lower temp to 300 and cook for 15 min. Stir and cook for 10 min. Cool. Sprinkle cajun salt and toss to coat.

Here is my question. The almonds are cooked but the bbq rub and hot sauce is not really on the almonds. These are not hot and spicy like I hoped.

What can I do to make these better before I send out for the Holidays?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Delete the water. Stir your habanero sauce and mesquite into the BBQ rub and rub onto almonds, roast as before.

 

[TATTRAT]

a little brown sugar would help round out the spice with some sweet to the heat.

 

[Oldvine]

I would use less water.

 

[Capehog]

Delete the water. Stir your habanero sauce and mesquite into the BBQ rub and rub onto almonds, roast as before.

I will try this. Dont know how to get the rub/sauce mix to stick but I'll report back. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[mudbug]

how about a little olive oil or egg white - something sticky for the rub to adhere to?

 

[Zhizara]

Buttery spray. Works great on popcorn too.