Chef Mark Okumura's Caramelized Almond Dragees Recipe

I had so much fun at CookSpace Hawaii's Handmade Valentine's Candies class that I wanted to try my hand at the recipes when I got home.  Since I had a bag of almonds, I decided to make Chef Mark Okumura's Caramelized Almond Dragees recipe.

To start, you will need to bring 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water to a boil.  

Once you get it to 240 degrees or the soft ball stage, add 2 cups of whole almonds.  Keep stirring the nuts until they are all coated with sugar.  The sugar will begin to crystallize. 

Keep mixing until it caramelizes like this. 

Add a pinch of butter to the mix.  You want all the nuts to be separated.  The smell will be amazing!

Spread the nuts in a single layer on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and let cool.  

In a bowl, stir nuts in melted chocolate.  If the first layer of chocolate isn't thick enough for your tastes, feel free to add a second or third layer.   

Finally, roll the almonds in powdered sugar.  Enjoy!  Perfect for your Valentine!