Almond Butter*

Categories:	English   17th century
Original Source:	Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book
Secondary Source:
Cook:	Morwenna Westerne
Meeting Date:	2005-01-16

To Make Almond Butter
Take a pound of Almonds, blanch them in cold water, then grinde them in a mortar verie finelie, strain them with a good deale of faire water, & set them over the fire, & put theirin a little rose water, & a little salt & sugar, stir it over the fire, till it begin to break, then take it from the fire, & put it into a cloth, so that all the whey may run from it, then put it together with a spoon, & so let it hang upon a staff untill all the whey be run out, very cleane, when the whay is run out, beat it againe in a morter, & then put it into dishes.

Steps

1. Make almond milk, by putting almonds in 2 cup measuring cup and adding cold water to fill. Strain & repeat. Pour almond milk into a medium saucepan, along with salt, sugar & rosewater. Let cook over high heat until it boils. Like cow’s milk, almond milk can boil up and over if not watched.
2. When boiling, turn down the heat and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until the milk thickens. Pour into a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl. Gather the cheesecloth over the solids and hang to drain. This recipe makes a small amount, so suspending it from a chopstick on the rim of a drinking glass is about right.
3. When no more liquid drips out, put in a bowl, mix slightly until butter is smooth and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve it forth.

Note

It’s good on biscuit bread.
This recipe can be easily enlarged.