1. Add the lukewarm water and one tablespoon of the sugar to a large bowl and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Add the dry yeast and mix a bit. Let it sit until the yeast starts foaming up – this takes about 10 minutes. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set them aside.

2. In a separate bowl mix the flour with the ground cinnamon and nutmeg. When the yeast is ready, add the flour mix, the remaining sugar and maple syrup to the large bowl as well. Knead everything for about 5 minutes until you get a nice smooth dough – use a food processor or do it by hand.

3. Divide the dough into nine pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long log and shape that into a pretzel. Place the pretzels on the prepared baking sheets, cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rise for about 30 minutes. While the pretzels are rising, roast the sliced almonds in a non-stick frying pan until they are fragrant and only slightly browned.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Place the baking sheets with the pretzels in the oven and bake them for about 12 minutes. Swap the positions of the baking sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure everything bakes evenly. The pretzels should have risen well and turned a golden-brown color. Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool briefly on the trays, then transfer them to a wire rack so they can cool down completely.

5. Mix the confectioners‘ sugar for the decoration with the milk and vanilla extract. Brush the pretzels with this mixture, then sprinkle them with the toasted almonds – allow everything to dry completely before serving.