Almond Butter

Last night I made a batch of fresh roasted almond butter. I started by blanching and roasted four pounds of top quality California almonds to a uniform golden-brown. Once the almonds cooled, I placed them in the bowl of my food processor and processed the almonds in to a thick ball of almond paste. I continued processing, adding one tablespoon at a time of high oleic, GMO free, expeller pressed safflower oil until the paste became smooth. Safflower, a heart healthy oil, is high in antioxidants and low in saturated fat. In fact it has a very similar chemical composition to olive oil but with a completely nuetral flavor. In the end, I only added about 3 tablespoons of safflower oil to bring about a nice creamy consistency. I also added a pinch of sea salt to balance the natural sweetness of the almonds.

Roasted almond butter is absolutely heaven! It beats the pants out of peanut butter both in health properties and in flavor. Almond butter at the store can cost as much as a dollar an ounce... ouch! My almond butter cost me $9.00 for four pounds AND my kids prefer it in their sandwiches and to dunk their vegetables in as well. I have replaced peanut butter with roasted almond butter in many of my recipes with great results.