Summer weather is upon us, but we don't know for how long? So what are we going to do? Milk it - quite literally - for all it's worth while we have it around! I woke up thinking of how great it would be to have a nice breakfast or after-school smoothie with an almond-y flavor. What did I think up: homemade almond milk. C'mon, you know you want to make it too!
If you've ever bought alternatives to dairy milk, chances are you've probably tasted almond milk, and realized that it's one of the tastiest. Full of flavor and a bit of fat makes for a realistic dairy substitution - and best of all - it couldn't be easier to make. I am not a big fan of "exact science" cooking with measurements and such, so forgive me if you're Type-A-inclined. Instead give way to your wild side and have some fun in creating flavors of your own!
Homemade Almond Milk
2-3 cups of almonds (soaked overnight in enough water to cover by about 3 inches)
agave or sweetener for flavor
a pinch of sea salt
After your almonds have soaked overnight, rinse them and place them in a blender. To the blender, add about 4-5 cups of water (enough to cover the almonds by about 2-3 inches) and turn the blender on. Blend for about 5-6 minutes, to make sure that everything is liquified as much as possible and you will get all of the delicious almond-y flavor.
Strain the "milk" from the blender through a cheesecloth (I've been known to use old (clean!) dish towels if I don't have any on hand) to collect all of the almond pulp. Don't throw away the almond pulp leftover in the strainer or cheesecloth because you can keep it and dry it out in a dehydrator or oven (a low oven temp works fine) to use as almond flour in your gluten-free cooking (recipe below)!
Now that you have the mlik made, get busy making creations beyond the cereal bowl. I like to keep it not so sweet and pair it up with things like over-ripe bananas, peanut butter and a touch of maple syrup for a delicious smoothie. This almond milk will keep in the fridge for about one week, but I highly doubt it'll last that long!
To make almond flour: in a dehydrator or oven (at about 150F) place on a baking sheet for about an hour. You should notice that it feels completely dry and not moist at all. I usually wait until it's almost dry and then turn off the oven and leave it in the oven to lose all of the moisture. You can use it as-is, but I think to get a realistic "almond flour feel" then you should either grind it in a coffee grinder (in batches because it likely won't all fit in one go) or a super-strong Vita-Mix blender if you're lucky enough to have one. Voila! Almond flour for you and all of your gluten-free buddies!
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