Nutty Butter

{Makes about 1 ½ cups}

Freshly made nut butters are miles away in taste from those found in a jar, and they are very easy to make. For this job, I prefer the food processor to my high-speed blender, as its wide blade easily reaches all the nuts and makes short work of them.

Ingredients:

4 cups raw cashew pieces, soaked, and dried raw almonds (see Note), or other nuts

2 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil

⅛ teaspoon sea salt

If you are using a food processor, place the nuts in the bowl of the processor and process until smooth, 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed and stopping the machine every couple of minutes so it doesn't get too hot. A couple of minutes before the nut butter is done, it will form a ball in the machine' continue to process until the oils from the nuts are released and the nut butter is smooth and creamy. Add the oil and salt and process briefly to combine.

If you are using a high-speed blender, place the nuts in the blender, cover, and blend on high speed (using the tamper if you're using a VitaMix) to work the nuts into a smooth nut butter, about 3 minutes, stopping the machine if it gets too hot.

Keep the nut butter in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Note: For almond butter, you will need to soak the almonds and dehydrate them for about 24 hours, until they are completely dry.

Tip: It can be hard to scrape every last bit of nut butter from your blender, if that's what you used, so make your next smoothie in the blender and enjoy the leftover nut butter in your drink.

{Variations}

Sweet Nutty Butter: Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons raw honey or raw agave at the end.

Cinnamon-Raisin Nutty Butter: Stir in ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 2 tablespoons minced raisins at the end.

Chocolate Nutty Butter: Stir in ¼ cup raw cacao powder and 2 to 3 tablespoons raw honey or raw agave (the sweetener is optional) at the end.

Nutty Butter with Dried Apples: Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons minced dried apples at the end.

Warm Regards,

Carol

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CAROL ALT is a pioneer and chameleon in the entertainment industry; constantly on the lookout for new challenges. Since her days as the world’s most renowned Supermodel, Carol has gone on to be multi-award winning actor, successful entrepreneur, best-selling author on Raw Food and Nutrition, and the host of A Healthy You & Carol Alt on FOX News Channel.