Multi-Nut Butter

I've been sitting on the idea of making a nut butter with a variety of nuts for awhile. And then I recently realized that I actually have 4 varieties of nuts, right now, in my kitchen. So it was nut butter time!

As I've mentioned quite a few times before--making homemade nut butters is unbelievably easy and so entirely customizable. You can add pretty much anything you want to it--honey, chocolate, vanilla, etc. Or you could add nothing and just let it be an ultra healthy nut butter! This is the same. I've given you the amounts of nuts and the varieties that I used but you can completely mix it up to suit your own needs! And your end result is a delicious, healthy, natural (and no-stir!) nut butter!

For my multi-nut butter I had almonds and peanuts as the predominant nuts (peanuts have a good amount of oil so that way I wouldn't need to add oil during the process. And almonds are ultra good for you!) and then walnuts (which I don't love but are some of the healthier nuts) and pecans (which taste oh so good but are prob. the least healthy nuts). And then I just added a smidgen bit of salt and honey. And now I have a delicious, creamy (of all the nut butters I've made this one doesn't get as thick and hard in the refrigerator-which I looove) thing to spread on my pancakes, toast, or to bake with!

Get on board and get your food processor ready!

Homemade Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut Butter)

They said it couldn't be done.

They said I was crazy.

BUT I DID IT!

buahahahaaaaaa!

I made homemade Nutella with only 2 ingredients:
hazelnuts.
chocolate.

There are a lot of homemade Nutella recipes out there, and to be fair-most of them are actually probably closer to the store-bought. But I really just wanted a simple, healthier, chocolate hazelnut version. I asked various people about if I couldn't just make it the way I make any other chocolate nut butter, but I was told it wouldn't work, I needed to use cocoa powder, etc.

Well ta-da! I did it! I just took some roasted, skinned, hazelnuts and processed them. Then I threw in some dark chocolate chips and a dash of salt. Process until smooth, refrigerate, and done! YUM.

You know those Nutella commercials where the mom is spreading it on toast and talking about how it's a healthier option for her kids (you know, the kind of stuff that got them sued)? Well...this is actually pretty healthy (I mean..dark chocolate is kindaaaa healthy). And I spread it on whole wheat toast and ate it for breakfast. Just like those kids in the commercial.

Oddly enough, I had been meaning to try this for awhile but one day, while babysitting, I made myself a toasted Nutella and peanut butter sandwich...and it was just so good I knew I needed to make some for myself ASAP.

More good news=in addition to being able to just eat this on toast, with a spoon, etc. you can even use it in (some) recipes. I have a few coming to the blog soon :)

In summary, this is a spread full of amazing hazelnut-chocolate flavor, you're gonna love it, and to all who doubted me: nananananaaaa.

hehehehe.

Homemade Dark Chocolate Walnut Butter

I know the season of gift giving is sorta kinda over.

But this can totally be a gift for yourself.

Before Christmas I made my cousin, Emily, some dark chocolate walnut butter for her gift. She said walnuts were 1 of her favorites and she loves chocolate so...it was a pretty easy decision! 

It is seriously silly how easy it is to make flavored nut butters. It's like...oh here's some walnuts. And here's some melted dark chocolate. Bada bing bada boom we're in business!

 Michael tasted some and got very jealous that I did not make this for him. This is a great sweet treat, but still healthy (nuts=good and dark chocolate=antioxidants, right? right.) Spread this on toast, dip apple slices in it, or just spoon this dark chocolate walnut butter into your mouth-there's no wrong way to eat it!

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Imagine, if you will, wonderful chocolate chip cookies. 

Cookies that are pillowy and soft on the inside, chewy and delightful.

Cookies with a satisfyingly crisp edge, full of delicious dark chocolate morsels.

Chocolate chip cookies that have just a little extra oomph to them.

Cookies made with almond butter.

These are some of the best cookies, ever. I know I say that fairly often, but it's true!! The almond butter was surprisingly subtle (so much so that, when I asked Michael if he noticed anything special he made a face and asked, "Browned Butter?" I thought the flavor was more distinct than that, but then again, I made them). I felt like the almond butter flavor was more present the fresher they were, but with or without the cookies taste amazing. I really really did love what the almond butter flavor added, though. I really want them again, now. Oh boy, so yummy. You should make some homemade almond butter, then make these cookies! Yes. Yes, that is a grand idea. :D

Homemade Almond Butter

It's National Nut Day!

Would you care to celebrate with some homemade almond butter?

This may seem odd to you*, but I did not even realize other nut butter existed, outside of peanut butter.

*(or maybe not)

When I was 20, subletting a room from a friend in Jersey City, I lived with 3 dudes. 3 health conscious dudes. I was also kinda dieting so I'd look ok in my bikini for that one movie. One such boy, a model, was telling me about almond butter and how it was healthier than peanut butter. I tried it. I was like "Huh..it's OK I guess...I'd still rather have peanut butter though."

Fast forward to me having some Godiva truffles, including their roasted almond butter one-OMG. 

Fast forward to me making homemade peanut butter and realizing that I should totally make homemade nut butters all the time.

Fast forward to me making roasted almond butter. I had a smidgen bit of difficulty-the nuts weren't breaking down the way the peanuts had. I then realized I'd have to relent and add oil. So I did. Then, we had perfection. And it was deeelicious. I totally think it's amazing, now. Not better than peanut butter. But just like peanut butter's equally pretty and talented sister, ya know? And it's healthy, so, awesome.

Then I made cookies. Not necessarily so healthy. Whatever. I'll share those later. 

You know what I also did? Smeared some of this goodness on homemade graham crackers for breakfast. Yums-ville.

Discover almond butter. Discover yumminess.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Tomorrow is National Peanut Day.

We should celebrate.

With peanut butter.

HOMEMADE Peanut Butter.

Got 5 minutes? Got peanuts? Got a food processor?

Yes?

Then you can make peanut butter, my friend.

Seriously, this recipe isn't even a recipe. It's like a...hey...take some peanuts...or other nuts...toss em in a food processor. Want salt? Throw some in there.  Process. Wait. Watch it turn into a ball. Does it break down and get smooth? Good. No? Put a little bit of oil in there, whatever sort you prefer.Wanna flavor it? Throw whatever the crap you want in there. Want it crunchy? Put some peanuts in there towards the end so there are some little chopped peanut bits in there. Done. End of story. You have amazing homemade peanut butter. It's homemade, unprocessed, all natural, AND (in my case anyway) has no oil separation. 

Oh yeah, and it's the best peanut butter you'll ever taste.*

I'm obsessed. I am (probably) never buying peanut butter again.

(unless you're stupid like Michael, in which case you'll say "It tastes too much like peanuts." That boy will not be deterred from his processed junk. *sigh*