Heather Armstrong Fogg states it simply. There's "nothing better than California almonds to cook with."
That's not just boastful speaking. She has proofs.
First, there's her Lemon Sable Cookies. She entered these in The Record's cookie contest a few years back, and then "I entered them into the State Fair," she said. "I think I got a red ribbon for them."
She won The Record's readers' voting category for which she received a grocery card.
She does not recall where she got her other recipe, Crockpot Cinnamon Almonds, "but they are a family favorite," said Fogg, a teacher at Venture Academy charter school in Stockton.
Ruthanne Bassette, a retired Manteca Public Library employee, has a very simple recipe when it comes to this popular and nutritious nut. In fact, it's her favorite almond recipe. It consists of "two cups of fresh raw almonds" microwaved for four minutes.
"Cool and eat at least ten every day!" she said.
Her "Sweet and Spicy Almonds" recipe below is also relatively quick to prepare.
Longtime and now retired Manteca Unified employee Gloria Brown Dovichi also shared her family's favorite almond recipe. It was something that her mother originally found in the newspaper several years ago. The ingredient does not call for actual whole almond nuts but "almond extract flavoring."
The other recipe she shares - Blue Diamond Almond Bars - is a "wonderful recipe from a dear co-worker," she said. "She was taking a baking class, and she’d bring her special treats to share with us at work."

RECIPES

LEMON SABLE COOKIES
By Heather Armstrong Fogg

Ingredients:
2 cups of almond flour
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 ½ cups butter room temperature
Zest of 2 medium lemons
2 lrg eggs
Juice of 2 medium lemons
2 ½ c flour
1 cup sanding or lrg granulated sugar for rolling

Directions:
1.  In a medium bowl combine confectioner’s sugar with almond flour.
2. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.  Beat until light and fluffy then add lemon zest and beat to combine, about 1-2 min.
3. At a low speed, gradually add the almond flour/confectioner’s sugar mixture until combined.
4. Add the eggs and lemon juice until combined. (up to 1TBS extra can be added if you desire a more lemony taste)
5. Slowly add the flour until combined
6. Place 2 or 3 sixteen inch pieces of waxed paper oe parchment on the counter. Divide the dough evenly onto the pieces.  Fold the paper over and using a ruler, roll and form the dough into       a  log with a 1 ½” in diameter.  Wrap the log and chill for 3 or more hours.
7. Preheat oven to 350*F line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
8. Pour the large granulated sugar into an unlined cookie sheet. Unwrap the logs and roll them in the sugar until well coated.
9. Cut the logs into ¼” slices and place on the lined cookie sheets about 1” apart. Bake until the edges of the cookies start to brown, about 12-15 min. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Store baked cookies in an air tight container up to 2 weeks or freeze cookies in the freezer up to 1 month.

CRACKPOT CINNAMON ALMONDS
By Heather Armstrong Fogg

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 Egg White
2 tsp. vanilla
3 Cups Almonds
1/4 C. Water

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, mix together sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another medium sized bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla until it’s a little frothy. Add almonds. Make sure the almonds are thoroughly coated in the egg white mixture. Add cinnamon mixture to the almonds and toss until coated.

Thoroughly spray with the stoneware of your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray and add the mixture of almonds and sugars.

Cook on low (with the lid on) 3-4 hours stirring every 20 minutes. In the last hour, add the 1/4 C. of water and stir well. This ensures a crunchy yummy coating. (*make sure after you've added the water that you continue to cook the nuts for another 45 minutes to an hour.)

You have to stir really well, especially as it gets later in the cooking process.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the almonds flat to cool. The almonds will be sticky at this point, so make sure you separate them a little and have no large mounds.

EGG NOG CAKE
By Gloria Brown Dovichi

1 yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups egg nog
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 cup soft butter
1 tsp. rum extract (or almond extract, if desired)
slivered almonds

Grease a bundt pan with butter and thinly sprinkle with slivered almonds. Stir together other ingredients, and pour into bundt pan. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.

BLUE DIAMOND ALMOND BARS
By Gloria Brown Dovichi

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened           
Topping:        
1 cup butter           
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup honey

 ¼ cup heavy cream
3 cups sliced almonds
 
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Crust: 
In medium bowl, combine crust ingredients until soft and crumbly.
Press mixture into 15-inch x 10-inch jelly roll pan. 
Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.  Set aside.
 
Topping: 
In saucepan, combine brown sugar, sugar, honey and butter.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. 
Bring to a boil without stirring; boil 3 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in cream and almonds.  Spread over crust.
Bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes.  Cool.
Cut into diamonds, triangles, or bars.
ENJOY!!

SWEET AND SPICY ALMONDS
By Ruthanne Bassett

In a large bowl , combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt and 1 tsp cayenne pepper. 

Microwave 21/2 cups almonds for 7 minutes.  While they are cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water.  Stir until combined, about one minute.  Add almonds and toss to coat.

Transfer almonds to sugar mixture (do not scrape extra glaze into bowl).  Spread almonds on a waxed paper lined baking sheet and let cool.  Nuts can be stored up to 2 weeks at room temperature in an airtight container