A: Most nuts take on a richer appearance and flavor when roasted. Skins turn mahogany and the flesh takes on a golden hue. The texture becomes light and crisp. The flavor and aroma deepens and intensifies. In particular, roasting walnuts really plays up their savory qualties.
Procedure:
1) Preheat oven to 140°C
2) Spread nuts into an even layer
3) Roast for 17 minutes
4) Remove from oven and wait to cool, about 5 minutes.
Q: Do I really need to wait for the nuts to cool?
A: The rest gives the nuts time to harden. Otherwise, you'll end up with more of a yielding chew than a crisp snap.
Q: My almonds are making popping sounds. Should I be worried?
A: No cause for alarm. I suspect that the pops and hisses have to do with moisture loss.
Terminology:
When I say that I "roast" nuts in my oven, I actually mean that I bake them. I use the word "roast" for the sake of cultural appeasement; actually most "roasted" foods fail to satisfy the strict definition of roast*. That, and "baked nuts" don't sound nearly as luxurious as "roasted nuts".
References: PDFs by Kita and Figiel
Effect of Roasting on Property of Walnuts
Peanuts Links
*Defined as a slow cooking technique characterized by the use of radiant heat provided by an open fire (Modernist Cuisine 2: 28)
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