I LOVE nut butters, and could probably just live off these if I had my way. And, once you start making your own, there’s really no need to ever buy it again. $15 for a jar of almond butter is ridiculous. Yes, nuts are expensive, but this jar cost me less than $5 (including the jar), and it tastes so much better! And, the home made jam is worlds away from store bought, and it has no sugar!
Almond Butter
I used about 2 cups of Raw Almonds, but there really is no need to measure. Just pour as much or as little as you want into a 5 qt food processor. (You can roast your nuts for a few minutes before hand for extra flavor, but I like to leave mine raw for more nutrients. Just be careful if you heat them, as the heated oils can ruin the benefits of the nuts). You can use any nuts you want.
Pour nuts into food processor, and blend on high for about 20 minutes to half an hour. Every few minutes check on the mixing. You may need to scrape down the sides of the mixer to incorporate the nut crumbles. It takes a little while for the nuts to actually break down and release their oils, so do not stop the process until the mixtures passes the ball stage and finally sinks to the bottom and you can start to see the oils release. It will become very hot because of the blades running for so long, but once smooth and creamy, you are done. I don’t use salt, but if you do, you can add this or honey or chocolate powder in at this time.
Strawberry Jam
1 1/2 lbs strawberries, washed and sliced
3/4 c water
3-4 large dates, pitted
1/2 c boiling water
zest of 1 lemon
juice of half lemon
In small container, place dates into boiling water, and let sit for several minutes to melt the dates. Place in food processor and mix until dates have incorporated into water, and become somewhat of a syrup. It is ok if there are some pieces of dates, but you just want them mostly combined. Place date mixture and all other ingredients into saucepan, stir and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until strawberries melt and mixture reduces to desired thickness. You can crush the berries into the liquid, or leave chunkier according to your preference.
In my next batch, I will add ginger and mint for added spice and flavor. You can use this topping for deserts or in dressings, or simply on a spoon with the almond butter!
A Pinch and a Dollop 