Almonds are thought to have originated in Central Asia and China. In the 18th century, Franciscan monks brought the tasty nut to California. California is now the largest producer of almonds in the world. Almonds are a nutritional powerhouse. According to the Nutfarm web site, a one-ounce serving (20 to 24 nuts) has 35 percent of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin E, as much calcium as a quarter cup of milk, six grams of protein and three grams of fiber in addition to folic acid, magnesium and phosphorus. All for 170 crunchy calories.

Blanch the almonds. If your almonds still have their skins on you will want to blanch them to remove the skins before you bake them. If your almonds are already skinned or you prefer them with the skins on, proceed to section 2.

Place the almonds in a bowl and pour boiling water to cover them.

Let sit one minute; then pour the almonds into a strainer and rinse them under running water. You want the almonds still to be warm, but cool enough to handle without burning your fingers.

Pinch each almond with your fingers to pop them out of their skins. This is fun to do with kids.

Dry the almonds well. Pat them dry using a towel.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the raw almonds in a single layer in a pie tin.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. Cooked almonds are golden brown in color.

Salt the cooked almonds. Let them cool for about 15 minutes. They are now ready to serve.