Hands up if, like me, you have been playing the TINY BOOKSHOP computer game to the point of irresponsibility. 🙋 That’s ok, no judgement here. It’s that dangerous combo of cozy and addicting, and I couldn’t love it more.

For those who haven’t played, TINY BOOKSHOP is a game in which you run a mobile shop for second hand books. Different locations in town have customers that are interested in different genres, so you have to stock your shelves based on where you plan to park your bookshop that day. As you progress through the game, you get to know the locals and unlock some of the secrets of the town. And as you sell books, you get opportunities to recommend books to customers based on what they’re looking for. The best part? The books on your shelves are real books like JANE EYRE, TASTING HISTORY, GAME OF THRONES, and so much more! In fact, I keep a notepad next to me when I play, because it’s given me lots of new books to add to my TBR.

Seasonal progression is part of the gameplay, and the Winter Market sells two snack items that add boosts to your shop: roasted almonds and yuletide coffee. The roasted almonds are described as “a crunchy treat so sweet,” which makes me think they’re candied as well as roasted. This sounds similar to German candied almonds (Gebrannte Mandeln), which have a thick, rough, crunchy coating of sugar and spices. This would make a lot of sense, since the studio that developed the game (Neoludic Games) is based in Germany.

For my German candied almonds, I went straight to All Tastes German. It’s the same place I found my favorite authentic German jagerschniztel recipe. I only made a few small tweaks, since I didn’t want to depart too much from the traditional recipe.

Just like TINY BOOKSHOP, these little nuts are so cozy and addicting. First you get the crunchy, sugary sweetness of the coating with the lightly toasted almond in the background. Then as the sugar begins to dissolve on your tongue, it unlocks the cinnamon. Even though I’m posting this on New Year’s Day, I made the recipe on St. Nicolas day, and it felt SO perfect to be standing at my stove stirring sweet, fragrant almonds on that day. I think I might have unlocked a new annual St. Nick tradition!

P.S. Just want to remind everyone that I’ll be posting on a different schedule from now on (the first Thursday of every other month), so my next recipe post will go up on March 5th. You can find more details about the change here.

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German-Style Candied Roasted Almonds inspired by TINY BOOKSHOP

“A crunchy treat so sweet!
(Careful with your teeth)”

— TINY BOOKSHOP

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Makes 1 1/2 cups roasted candied almonds

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Add everything except the almonds to a cast iron skillet over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Once the mixture is boiling, add in the almonds.
2. Stir gently and continuously until all the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes (for me, it took 13). The sugar syrup will reduce down to a granular, crusty coating. PRO TIP: Wear an oven mitt while stirring. It will keep you comfortable over the heat, make transferring the hot mix easier, and protect against hot sugar splatters.
3. Reduce heat to medium and continue to stir until the sugar melts and turns shiny again. This should take about 5 minutes.
4. Pour out onto the prepared baking sheet, quickly spreading them out with a spatula or wooden spoon as much as possible. Once they leave the pan, they’ll want to stick to each other, so just do your best. After 3-5 minutes, they should cool enough that you can gingerly handle them, and then breaking them apart will be a bit easier. Allow to cool completely on the pan, 10-15 minutes.
5. Serve at the Winter Market in Bookstonbury!

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Looking for more almond recipes?
Check out my recipe for
Almond Pinwheel Pastries!