If you search on Google for an almond milk recipe you will find lots of options in the results. This is because the use of almond milk has become much more popular in recent years. Some people choose it in preference to cow’s milk because of a lactose intolerance problem whilst others just like the nutty taste when they put the milk on their breakfast cereal. You can of course buy it ready-made at your local supermarket but with a good recipe for making your own, you can do so and enjoy the rewarding feeling it gives you.
What is interesting about almonds is that they offer quite a lot of health benefits too. Again you can do a Google search to see what food scientists have to say. You can also click here to read an interesting BBC News feature which I found on the subject.
Apart from putting almond milk on your cereal, it can be used as a base for sauce making, ideally sauces to pour over meat and fish dishes. This recipe below also gives the option of adding some white wine which I have found useful, especially when making a sauce for a fish dish. It really helps compliment the full flavour of the meal as a whole.
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) ground almonds
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 tablespoons white wine (Optional)
- Boil the water then dissolve the honey into it and pour over the ground almonds in a separate, heatproof bowl. Leave the mixture for 15-30 minutes. NOTE: Before straining the mixture you can add a little white wine (1-2 tablespoons) to improve the flavour.
- When the almonds have steeped long enough, strain them from the mixture. This should give a creamy, sweet almond milk which you can either:
a) use immediately as part of another recipe which calls for an almond milk to help create a sauce
b) leave to cool, then refrigerate in a covered container, ready to be used (within 48 hours preferably) in another recipe.
Don't forget that the white wine is optional.
Almond milk by Shelagh Caudle
