Nut butter

 

My sister Danielle has asked for this recipe so here goes..It is so simple I am sure you will, like me, say “well why haven’t I been doing this for years?” Nut butters in general are super good for you. Well lets be honest….nuts are! They are the unadulterated goodness our bodies love. They continue to have a bad rap and I think this is because nuts are nutrition bombs and as such are packed with calories. They do though supply huge doses of anti-inflammatory omega-3?s, and protein and are very satisfying so you don’t need much. If you go slathering them in salt or sugar coat them, or sprinkle something horrid out of a flavouring jar onto them, you’re kind of missing the point though. Remember…keep it clean and simple and as close to how God made it as possible.

Also, I gently toasted these nuts (after I had shelled them) in the oven and let them cool before making this batch of nut butter. have made 2 varieties of nut butters. With cooked nuts and with raw nuts. I like them both. Its just a taste thing. Like preferring a piece of toast or a fresh slice of bread….I’ve also combined different nuts.

The photos above are from my leftover Christmas nuts which happened to be hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts. I’ve also mixed almonds, pecans and walnuts with equal success. You could, if you wished, be totally “monogamous” and just use 1 type of nut like almonds. The point is: experiment! Keep the basic formula like the quantities of nuts, the dates for sweetness, some salt and maybe cinnamon, and go for it! You could also add coconut oil which is nice as it brings another taste dimension. I gently toasted these nuts (after I had shelled them) in the oven and let them cool before making this batch of nut butter.

Makes 1 jar

115g (1cup) walnuts

115g (1 cup) pecans

160g (1 cup) raw unsalted almonds

6 or 8 dates depending on how sweet you like the finished product

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)

So all you do is put everything in the food processor and blitz until you start to see an oiliness developing. Keep going until its quite smooth, but be careful as you can overdo it and end up with a hot mess of a thing whose only home is the bin.

Serve these lovely smooth butters on Definitely Not Bread or add them to your smoothies or chop up a piece of fruit and add a little dollop with each bite. I am thinking of trying out a cake-ish recipe with sweet potatoes and nut butter. Think its going to be good! Watch out for it.