Almond Butter

Oh, almond butter how you tempt me. I first discovered you years ago on the shelf of a grocery store with no real understanding of how you came to be there. I even found you in your "raw" form begging me to try you, but for $13.00 a jar and a shrinking budget, I knew something had to give. I cut you out of my life for a while justifying this by telling myself that local almonds are non-existent in New York and not worth the carbon footprint. But then I moved back to California...

Where almonds quite literally grow on trees and can be found at every single farmer's market. With my magic bullet upgraded to a real food processor I knew I couldn't stare at you suffocating in your bag any longer without allowing you to reach your full potential; as almond butter. 

I couldn't name my blog "Honey and Almonds" without including a recipe for almond butter. Plus, it is so simple to make at home it's almost laughable. It's one of those staples that we have become so accustomed to seeing on the shelf that it's easy to forget how easy it is to make. And cheap! 

 If you make it yourself you are looking at $6.00 a pound compared to about $10.00 a pound in the grocery store for Organic or pesticide free almond butter. Kashiwase Farms sells delicious raw, Organic almonds for $7.00 a pound. However, the rate at which I eat almonds and their glorious butter means that I tend to stick to the pesticide/insecticide-free almonds from EGB Farms that are $6.00 a pound. 

Now, I really must make something very clear here. After you make your own almond butter, there's no going back. It's over for you. You will have dreams about it and its gooey creamy perfectness. You will have to hide it in the back of the fridge so that you won't be tempted to eat spoonfuls of it with honey. You will throw out your peanut butter and wonder why no one has created chocolate and almond butter ice cream. Consider yourself warned. 

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Almond Butter

I think it's obvious I recommend local almonds from your farmer's market to make sure you get the best quality and pesticide-free or Organic is really the best way ensure you get the most health benefits from your food.

1 lb raw, pesticide-free almonds

Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees F. Spread almonds out on baking sheet, making sure there is just one layer of nuts. Roast for 20 minutes until almonds brown slightly and give off a lovely aroma. Allow to cool.

Transfer cooled almonds to a food processor and process on high, scraping the sides every few minutes with a spatula, until the almond meal turns into goo. This may take longer than expected. The almonds have to release their oils so expect about 8 minutes of processing from start to finish. 

Pour into a 16 oz jar and try not to eat all of it. If you can bare to part with it, half-pint jars of almond butter make wonderful homemade holiday gifts. Change it up by experimenting with adding salt, honey, cinnamon and other flavor enhancers.

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