Brente Mandler

Brente Mandler loosely translates to ‘candied almonds’ in Norwegian, and 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.