Smokey-Spicy-Matcha and Cocoa Almonds Recipe
I love chocolate, so I was thrilled to get a large jar of cocoa-coated almonds for my birthday from my Dad. These treats are pretty guilt-free, since the cocoa adds very little sugar or additional fats, and even adds some healthy antioxidants. As I crunched a few of these savory-sweet treats, I immediately thought of a way to make them EVEN BETTER! Who doesn’t love the surprising and addictive combination of sweet, salty, and smokey? As I’ve said before, Pimenton, or Spanish smoked paprika, is my secret weapon to create healthy foods that are irresistable. Pimenton comes in three versions: Dulce (literally ‘sweet,’ but it doesn’t taste sweet to me, just not at all spicy), Agridulce (mildly spicy) and Picante (spicy). Our family likes spicy foods, so we always go with Picante! Adding premium matcha to the mix is a favorite way to add healthy antioxidants and an umami boost (which means you can go a little lighter on the salt), and sometimes I include a little cumin for a Mexican hot chocolate vibe. A little experimentation, and this decadent-but-very-healthful snack was born.
