Tasty Tuesday - Almond Butter

Almond Butter is easy to make as long as you have a food processor, and SO much cheaper than store bought. Almonds are much better for you than peanuts. Almonds are the healthiest of all nuts. They are low in saturated fat, have a powerhouse of phytochemicals that protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer. One study showed that eating almonds five times a week resulted in a 50% reduction in the risk of heart attack. One ounce has 12% your daily value of protein, 85% daily value of Vitamin E, and they are loaded with calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous, and folate!

We get almonds for $4.99/lb at Kroger, in the produce section, not the nut aisle. They are sometimes even $3.99/lb.

Homemade Almond Butter
1 c raw almonds
couple of pinches of salt

Place almonds in food processor and give them a whir! Add salt when the almonds are fully chopped, but not yet butter. This will need to whir for.. awhile. After about five minutes it will clump up, and after several more minutes it will turn to butter. You might need to scrape it down several times when it starts to stick to the sides. When you think you have a butter consistency, let it go longer. It needs to drip from your spatula when you dip it in.
Refrigerate when finished.

Patience is necessary. It will harden in the refrigerator, so you really need to let it go longer than you think. Patrick is not as patient with it as I am, so his usually ends up clumpy and not very spreadable.

Yummy Variation: Melt 4 Dark chocolate Hersey's Kisses and add to food processor at the end. Spin a few times to combine.