Almond Butter

I am a kid at heart.

I like peanut butter.

But now I'm all grown up and I like other butters.

Like almond butter.

I usually don't buy almond butter from the store.

Reasons why I don't purchase nut butters from the store:

1. It's cheaper to make my own.
2. It tastes better when I make it.
3. I have greater control over added salt, sugar, and fat.

I've made almond butter several times and this last batch of butter was the best!  I was looking on-line for some "almond butter help" when I discovered this website:
http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-recipe-almond-butter/

She has pictures of the "stages" of almond butter-making.

It was very helpful, I must say!

First, it takes time to make great almond butter! 

Matter of fact, if you'll take the time to let the almonds "do their thing" you're going to end up with a great jar of butter.

Also, you're going to use way less oil than you originally thought you'd need.

I wish I had exact amounts, but I don't. 

Because I didn't think I'd need to know exact amounts.

But you can't mess this up.

Seriously.

You can't!

So here's the un-recipe for making your own almond butter.

Almond Butter

Almonds, toasted
1 tsp. oil, maybe

Using a food processor, like the one below . . .this is what mine looks like.  It's O.L.D!
Matter of fact, my dad bought it for me, before I was married, at a garage sale. 
It was old then  . . . and it's old now . . .but it still works!



Back to the recipe,

Using the blade attachment, pour about 2 cups of roasted and cooled almonds in the container.

Attach the lid and turn the processor on high. 

My processor was able to make the almond butter without over-heating.  You will have to do what's best for your machine not to over heat, stop working, and possibly catch fire.  (OK, the catch fire part was just for a small chuckle.  But really, if your food processor can't work continuously, you'll have to stop and start this process.  It won't change the end product, it'll just take longer.)

Allow the almonds to be processed through the following stages (looking at the pictures at the above website will help you understand what I'm not saying very clearly!).

• dry nut meal
• moist nut meal
• it will finally clump together in a ball

At this point, you might become concerned.

Don't!

Basically, the steps are now going to be worked through backwards, which is going to result in a terrific almond butter.

• the ball of butter will now, S.L.O.W.L.Y begin to redistribute
• you'll get anxious and want to add the oil.

Don't!

Be patient!

• Slowly, little by little, the oils begin to be fully released from the nuts and you'll begin to see the fruits nuts of your labor!

You'll have almond butter!

Smooth, creamy, and delicious!

Once the processor has done it's job, you may want your almond butter to be just a bit thinner.  If that's the case, slowly add the 1 tsp. of oil into the butter, with the processor on so that it's well incorporated.

Spoon your delicious treat into a container or jar.

Lick the spoon!
Say to yourself, "Good job, thou well and faithful servant!"