Homemade Almond Butter

     Arnauld recently got hooked on a new snack, almond butter.  We have purchase jars from Trader Joe's and occasionally Whole Foods.  Well, for about the last 3 weeks, almond butter has fallen off the face of the earth.  Every time I'm at the store, I search the shelves hoping to surprise Arnauld with a special treat (for those who know him, there aren't many sweet treats that get him too excited...).  No luck.  I finally got around to reading about how to make my own and I found out that it's pretty easy!  The recipe I read online had a lot of information about raw almonds vs. roasted almonds and the amount of time it takes for almonds to actually turn to a buttery consistency.  Roasted almonds are best because in the amount of time it takes the almonds to break down, the mixture gets pretty warm.  In the end, the almonds are cooked and the whole process just takes less time if you start with pre-roasted almonds.  The site I read also said that in the food processor, the process can take up to 20 minutes...that's a long time grinding!  It didn't end up taking me that long and the results were fantastic.  Of course, I was so proud to share my creation with Arnauld, who quickly informed me that he prefers chunky.  I quickly chopped a few more almonds, stirred them in, and the process was complete.  No bits of hard shell and it even turned out cheaper than buying the pre-made stuff.

Almond Butter

Ingredients
3 cups almonds

Method
1. Place 3 cups of almonds in the food processor.
2. Puree until the almonds oils have been released and the almond butter is at a consistency that you like.  This may take anywhere from 8-20 minutes, depending on your food processor.  If the nuts stick to the side of the bowl, use a spatula to scrape them down.
3. Store almond butter in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

White Bean and Basil Hummus

     This is a recipe I pinned on Pinterest.  I'm a big fan of hummus- as a dip, on sandwiches, and even all by itself.  In the past, I have tried to make traditional hummus and the results were never quite as good as hummus made by professionals.  I was excited to try this twist on the classic recipe and was pleasantly surprised with the results. 

White Bean and Basil Hummus

 Ingredients
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 handful of fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of black pepper.

Honey Roasted Chick Peas

     I had a bowl of chick peas that I had soaked a few days ago, used a few, and now had a ton of leftovers just sitting in the refrigerator.  Every time I opened the fridge, I was reminded that I should do something with them.  This morning I remembered a site I read a long time ago that had suggestions for all different seasonings you can use when roasting chickpeas in the oven.  Have you ever had roasted chick peas?  They are so crunchy and a great snack.  You can read over the list and see which flavors speak to you.  This morning, I chose cinnamon and honey.  I am really happy with this choice because as we speak, the chick peas are roasting in the oven and my house smells so delicious!

Honey Roasted Chick Peas

Ingredients
2 cups Chick peas, dried and soaked over night
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey

Method
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
1. In a large bowl, mix chick peas, cinnamon, and sugar together making sure to coat all of the chickpeas in the mixture.
2. Place the chick peas in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 90 minutes.
3. Transfer the chick peas to a large bowl, drizzle with honey, and mix to coat.
4.  Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.

The Taste Test
     These definitely smelled a lot better than they tasted...not that they tasted bad at all.  They just smelled so sweet and delicious baking in the oven.  I think I may prefer my chick peas more savory than sweet.  I will have to experiment with some of the other flavors until I find my favorite.