The Food Processor Gets a Workout Day 5: Nutella Toasted Almond Butter

I had a few suggestions for something to make in my food processor, but I have to say my favorite suggestion was from Juliet.  Heather, I was very intrigued by your recipe and will definitely be making that once my hummus runs out!  Juliet's suggestion was simply "nut butter," so of course the first thing that came to mind was peanut butter.  I love peanut butter - I'll devour it with banana, apple, on toast, on crackers, basically anything that I can spread peanut butter onto.  However, while I was shelling peanuts and realizing I didn't have enough, I was reminded of the almond butter that Juliet had made.  I don't think almonds are that much better for you than peanuts - they're high in proteins and healthy fats (as long as you eat about a handful) but I've never had almond butter before so the almonds won out in the end.

There is a second spread that I'm absolutely obsessed with: Nutella.  In college, there was a restaurant called CrepeAway, which my friends and I frequented often, usually after the hour of 12AM.  I would get a crepe with nutella, strawberries, and bananas and it was heavenly.  So why not combine two delicious spreads into one?  BOOM: Nutella Toasted Almond Butter.

You don't have to, but I wanted to remove the skin.  This is a fairly simple process in which you pour boiling water over a bowl of almonds, let them sit there for about 5 minutes, and then peel off the skin.  Then, you roast the almond to get their crunchy texture back.  You could also just get almonds without the skin - but the supermarket wasn't carrying any that were unsalted.  If your almonds don't have skins, I'd still recommend toasting them anyway.  You'll know the almonds are done roasting when you can smell them from the next room.  They'll be crispy and dried out.

I'm not going to lie, this spread basically tastes like Nutella, except it has a thicker and grainier texture (and the grainy texture is by no means a bad thing) with a slight hint of the almonds.  So if you really like Nutella, process it with some toasted almonds and you will get a thick, delicious spread that will taste good on pretty much anything.  Right after I made it, I slathered it on a slice of banana bread.  So delightful.

I hope you all enjoyed this week of recipes and tips for using your food processor!  My whole family is now using the food processor, so getting one is definitely worth the investment.  Happy processing!

BTW, I also made the most divine sandwich yesterday.  I had hinted to it in my basil pesto post, but today I finally recreated it: grilled cheese sandwich with red onions, tomatoes, and pesto mayonnaise.  It was so incredibly delicious that everyone in my family had one.  And it was super simple too: just mix the pesto with mayonnaise.  Then layer as follows: slice of ciabatta bread, pesto mayo, slice of cheese (I used American), red onions, 2nd slice of cheese, tomatoes, 3rd slice of cheese, pesto mayo, 2nd slice of bread.  Then melt butter in a pan, toast one side of the sandwich while buttering the second side, and then flip.  Believe me, it's the most delicious lunch you'll ever have.  I've never been a fan of lunch, but this sandwich makes me look forward to noon every day.

Nutella Toasted Almond Butter

Makes about 2½ cups

Ingredients

- 2 c almonds, raw and unsalted

- 1¼ c Nutella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat.  Spread the almonds on the baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.  Remove and let cool.

Add the roasted almonds one cup at a time and process until ground.  Add the Nutella ½ c at a time and process until creamy.  Store in airtight container – does not need to be refrigerated. 

Tips for using your food processor

- When making something thick like a spread or nut butter, add the ingredients in smaller increments to make sure everything is processed fully and evenly.  This will result in a very creamy spread.  

Posted by Ali B at 9:22 AM