Almond Milk

I haven't been blogging lately due to some health issues. I went on a pretty strict diet for a few weeks to try to identify what was causing my headaches. Initially, I thought this meant no fun food at all, but of course I eventually found ways to be creative in the kitchen despite my new-found dietary restrictions. Look for an abundance of healthier and/or dairy-free recipes to follow.

My first fun dairy-free foray was to make my own almond milk. The store-bought brands are chock full of ingredients I can't pronounce, and I'm trying to avoid processed foods like that right now. A little internet research helped me realize that almond milk is insanely easy to make. After a few weeks of trials, I have perfected this recipe as a safe, yummy, easy alternative to cow's milk.

No, the cookie isn't dairy-free... but at least it was homemade!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted almonds*
3 cups water
1/4 cup honey**
1 t vanilla

* I know almonds can be expensive. I found the bulk trail-mix section at Whole Foods to be the cheapest option for almonds in my neighborhood.
** I am lucky enough to have a brother with bees who provides me with awesome honey. For those of who aren't that lucky, I recommend finding a local honey at a farmer's market or higher-end grocery store. It's worth the extra money.

Soak almonds overnight in enough water that they are covered.

After soaking overnight, drain and rinse almonds. In a blender, combine almonds, honey, vanilla, and 3 cups of water, and blend for a few minutes until there are no large chunks of almonds left.

Use a strainer or cheesecloth to separate the liquid from the almond meal. I pour the milk into a strainer over a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes to drain. Store in a quart jar in the refrigerator. Use within 48 to 72 hours (never a problem in my house; I drink it all within 24 hours!).

The leftover almond meal can be used for other recipes. Apparently there are also special cheesecloth bags made specifically for making your own nut milk, but I haven't taken time to look for these yet.

References: 
http://www.choosingraw.com/raw-101-homemade-almond-milk/
http://thisiswhatwemade.blogspot.ca/2012/03/almond-milk-vanilla-almond-milk.html
http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/06/08/homemade-almond-milk-almond-meal/

Biscotti Attempt #1

I have been meaning to attempt to make biscotti for a long time, and finally went for it yesterday. It was a cloudy, nasty day in Cleveland and I had no desire to go outside, which for me usually results in a GREAT day in the kitchen.

The biscotti was a bit of a disaster. I have swept my kitchen floor 4 times and am still feeling crumbs under my feet. The disastrous results, however, were user error, and not the recipe's fault. All I can say is wow, biscotti is difficult. At least 50% of this recipe ended up in the trash, but the other half is pretty good for a first try.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 cup slivered almonds

2 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

4 eggs

1/3 cup triple sec*

2 t anise extract

1 t vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 egg white + 1 t water mixed in a small bowl for egg wash.

* The original recipe called for brandy, but I don't have it. I think whiskey would work too.

First thing, toast the almonds. Spread almonds in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. While they are baking, you can mix the rest. Let almonds cool before adding to the dough.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in triple sec, vanilla, and anise. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together, and add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing thoroughly (I had to switch from the mixer to a big spoon at this point. Add almonds , mixing enough that they are spread throughout the dough.

Cut the dough into four parts. This is definitely necessary; I know this because I only cut it in half, and this happened:

Oops.

If you make your loaves too big, they will crack, break, and be extremely difficult to deal with. So follow the directions. Make four long, skinny logs, two on each baking pan. They should be a few inches wide and have room to spread out as they bake. Brush the egg wash (egg white and water) on the top of the loaves, covering the whole thing. I actually found it easier to use my hands to spread the egg wash. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Turn oven down to 300 degrees when you take the loaves out.

Be very careful removing your loaves from the pans. Most recipes say to use parchment paper on the trays, but how many of us have that in our kitchen? Let the loaves cool so they are barely warm or room temperature before slicing. Using a very sharp, non-serrated knife, cut 1-inch slices and lay out flat on a baking sheet. Don't make your slices too thin, or they will fall apart.

Bake your sliced biscotti at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes, turning slices over every 10 minutes until they are beginning to brown. Let cool on a rack. Your biscotti will harden more as they sit out and cool. Once cool, store your biscotti in an air-tight container. Buon appetito!

References: My recipe was based on this recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Nanas-Anise-Biscotti-451