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Welcome to ABC's and Allergies! I hope you will enjoy some of my thoughts and experiences with allergies and homeschooling, and try out some of my recipes. I have found a new passion for creating excellent meals that are free of Mandie's allergens, and are so yummy no one realizes they are "allergen free". I am also passionate about raising awareness of food allergies, and raising money for FAAN.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Making Nut Butters

I made some wonderful nut butters this morning!  Since Mandie can't have peanuts anymore, we enjoy almond butter and most recently cashew butter.  Finding safe almond butter (ie: without sunflower or palm oil) is difficult and expensive - and finding safe cashew butter is impossible.  Thus, my adventures into making nut butters.  I am not a fan of the store-bought almond butter that Mandie so dearly loves, but after making some today I have changed my mind.  Homemade is YUMMY!  Here's how I did it.

Almond Butter
2 cups whole unsalted almonds, toasted
1/4 cup corn or olive oil (or any safe oil)
pinch of sea salt
pinch of sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place almonds on a baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes or until they start to smell fragrant.  Cool until you can comfortably handle them.  Place cooled almonds, salt, sugar, and oil in your blender.  Process until it is the texture you prefer.  Store in the fridge.

Cashew Butter
2 cups whole unsalted cashews, toasted
1/3 cup corn or olive oil (or any safe oil)
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cashews on baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are fragrant.  Cool until you can handle them.  Place cashews, oil, and salt in blender and process to desired consistency.  Store in the fridge.

I make my nut butters in my Magic Bullet - but any blender or food processor would work.  We love our nut butters on fresh gluten free bread with jelly for sandwiches, in cookies (recipe for cashew butter cookies coming soon), and are looking forward to trying them in fudge in place of peanut butter.  Mandie also LOVES to dip her apple slices in almond butter.  It's an almost daily snack or meal for her. 

3 comments:

  1. I love almond butter on my bananas! I have a question, though. Is the baking necessary? What's the benefit?

    Thanks!
    Janelle

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  2. That was my question. And is there a way to make nut butters without adding more oil...I am going to have to look into this. Love you Jen!

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  3. Baking the nuts toasts them and brings out a richer flavor - and makes them a bit dryer and easier to grind into butter. I'm not sure about not adding oil - maybe you could try less oil and see where you get. Regardless, making your own you control what kind of oil, how much and how healthy it is - so you're overall getting less I think.

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