Chai Spiced Almond Butter

I love nut butters for their versatility! They are perfect with so many things. And with so many good brands on the market I never tried to make my own until I put two things together. Last week it was freezing and I made spiced hot chocolate after dinner. I experimented by adding almond butter to make it thick and rich, and it worked. This and the fact I had 2 Costco bags of almonds led me make almond butter at home. The result was a rich, creamy and delicious butter. I added chai spices to give it a fun festive and seasonal taste.

There are a few things to note:

1.  you will need a heavy-duty food processor. One that can run 10-12 minutes without getting hot.
2.  I used raw almonds. You can try roasted nuts for a nuttier taste.
3.  I’ve also made combination of nut and seed butter which is also delicious. Use equal amounts of almonds, cashews and  sunflower seeds.
4. Add spices and maple syrup at the last pulse or mix it manually. For some reason the spices thicken the butter and make it dry.
5.  The time given are approximate, this depends on the machine, it’s power.
6.  Scrape down frequently so the nuts are evenly puréed.

You will need // makes about a cup of butter
2 cups of raw almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon saffron (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1-2 teaspoon maple syrup

1. Place the nuts in the food processor. Process until you get a creamy texture about 8-12 minutes.
2. Stop and Scrape every 2-3 minutes. This is essential to get it evenly smooth. It may seem the recipe doesn’t work, but the full-time is needed to get to the right texture.
3. When you get the smooth and creamy texture, add the spices and pulse 1-2 times to blend evenly or mix it with a spatula or fork.
4. Transfer to a clean jar. Store in the fridge.
5. Great over toasted bread, porridge, sandwich spread, fruit slices or slather wherever you need nutty goodness. I caught my son spoon it directly from the jar standing in the fridge, it’s that kind a good stuff!  If you have a teenage boy you know what I mean.