Toast the blanched whole almonds until golden brown, then cool completely.

Grind the toasted almonds in a food processor until very fine.

Chop half of the golden raisins finely and the other half coarsely.

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the ground almonds, chopped raisins, honey, unsalted butter, minced crystallized ginger, ground allspice berries, ground mace, freshly ground nutmeg, ground fennel seeds, cinnamon, cayenne, and crumbled saffron threads.

Cook the mixture over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Continue cooking, stirring frequently to prevent burning, for an additional 40 minutes, or until the mixture becomes very thick.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

While still warm, form tablespoons of the mixture into 1-inch balls.

Roll each ball in sesame seeds to coat completely.

Store the candies in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 week.