I generally pride myself on my ability to do menial and repetitive tasks but I will say that blanching almonds might just be my least favorite kitchen chore. But pre-blanched almonds are super expensive around here and I’m too frugal to pay triple just to save myself some time. Perhaps next time I also need to factor my sanity into the equation. But seriously, I need to look into ordering blanched almonds online before I get to the next country that uses a bunch of them.
If you’re lucky enough to have a hookup for inexpensive blanched almonds (Trader Joe’s?), this recipe will be a snap. The almonds are blended with water, quickly cooked with some sweetener, thinned out to your desired consistency and then flavored with orange blossom water. The result is a creamy, fragrant beverage that would make any meal extra special.
Special thanks go to my kitchen elf, who did a great job helping with the almonds.
Fragrant Almond Milk with Orange Blossom Water
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
* 1 cup blanched almonds
* 6 cups water, divided
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 drops almond extract (optional)
* 1 teaspoon orange blossom water, or to taste
Directions:
Blend the almonds and two cups of the water in a blender and blend until very smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan and add the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for several minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the almond extract, if using, and the remaining 4 cups of water. Let cool to room temperature and strain through a fine sieve and add the orange blossom water. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator.
Note: you can skip the straining the mixture if you have a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix.