Spiced almond milk

1. soak almonds at least overnight, and for as long as 2 nights. the longer the nuts are soaked, the creamier the results will be. soaked almonds are also much easier to digest.

2. FOR SOAKING THE NUTS
• 2 cups of water to every ½ cup of almonds

FOR BLENDING THE NUT MILK
• 2 cups of water to every 1 cup of almonds

NUT MILK YIELDS
• 1 cup of almonds and 2 cups of water = 2 cups of almond milk
• 2 cups of almonds and 4 cups of water = 4 cups of almond milk

3. Add the desired amount of almonds to a container with the required amount of purified water for soaking (see For Soaking the Nuts ). Cover and soak for 1 to 2 days, then drain the almonds, rinse them with fresh water, and drain again.

4. Place the soaked almonds in your blender with the required amount of purified water (see For Blending the Nut Milk ). Pulse the blender at low speed, and then increase the speed to the highest setting and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. You know you’re on the right track when the almonds have formed a fine meal and the water is cloudy and white. (If you’re using a food processor, this step will take about twice as long.) Once the almonds and water are smooth, add sweeteners or other flavorings according to the recipes (see those starting with Traditional Almond Milk ).

5. Place a nut milk bag or cheesecloth over the milk container. Wash your hands thoroughly and then strain the almond mixture through the nut milk bag using your hands to squeeze the mixture through the bag. Store the milk in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

6. ALMOND MEAL COOKIES Use the almond meal left from making almond milk in this high- protein, fiber- filled cookie recipe.