It’s summer in New Orleans, which means staying cool by any means necessary. For me, this looks like a lot of time spent at home in the AC reading (get some good book recommendations from this week’s “Shop Talk” blog), catching up on streaming, eating my weight in tomato sandwiches and trying new dishes — low or no cook versions whenever possible. One thing I tried a few weeks ago is taking a crack at making my own almond butter. Call me cheap, but I can never bring myself to bite the bullet on the conventional brands at the grocery. The price seems exorbitant to me, mainly because it costs more than the peanut butter we keep stocked at home. So, to have my almond butter and eat it too, but for a lower price, I whipped up a batch. It was easier than I thought and quite delicious. Bonus: Almond butter sandwiches don’t require cooking. (Pro-tips: Add honey and fresh fruit — think strawberries — to the sando. Also, slather the almond butter on toast, pancakes, waffles apples and anything else you can think of that sounds like a good match.)
Here’s the recipe and instructions:
Grind one cup of almonds in a blender or food processor until creamy and voilà!
Now, you could do the above and call it a day, or you can add salt, cinnamon, cocoa or other flavorings. The above cited one cup of almonds yields about 1/2 cup almond butter. Add a little oil to make it creamier. I like liquid coconut oil, but feel free to experiment with your favorite oils.
You can also use this method for other nut butters, such as peanut and sunflower.
Have you made your own nut butter? Or do you think this sounds like a pain and I’m a cheapskate? Email me to discuss at melanie@myneworleans.com.
