VEGAN: Nut Pastes & Creams

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* Exported from MasterCook II *

 

Nut Pastes and Creams

 

Recipe By : Sweet & Natural/Meredith McCarty

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Desserts Vegan Baking

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 cups nuts (almonds, plain or blanched and/or

cashews

1/3 to 2/3 cup brown rice syrup or 1/4 to 1/2

cup pure maple syrup, start with less

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract

1/2 to 1 1/2 cups water, almond milk, rice

milk, amazake, apple juice or soy milk

 

1. To blanch almonds, bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small pot and

add almonds. Turn off heat and let sit for a minute or two. Drain and

slip off their skins by pinching nuts between your thumb and

forefinger one at a time.

 

2. In a food processor, blend nuts until they become a fine mel (this

make take about two minutes). Gradually blend in sweetener and

extract until texture is suitable for a paste. Otherwise, very

gradually drizzle in liquid, blending until texture resembles heavy

cream.

 

3. Mixture thickens as it sits at room temperature or in the

refrigerator and may require adding more liquid before serving. Nut

creams freeze well.

 

Variations: Almond Cream: Feature blanched or whole almonds and

include 1/4 tsp almond extract with 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Ginger-Almond Cream: to above variation, add 1 1/2 to @ Tbsp juice

squeezed from 3-inch piece of peeled and grated ginger

 

Cashew Cream: Feature cashews for teh smoothest texture of any nut

cream

 

Orange-Cashew Cream: Include juice from an orange as part of teh

liquid

 

Cashew-Almond Cream: Include 1 cup each cashews and almonds and add

1/4 tsp almond extract with vanilla extract

 

Sweetener-Free Nut Cream: Omit sweetener, adding vanilla and apple

juice to texture desired

 

 

 

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups paste or 1 1/2 to 3 cups cream.

 

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NOTES : Nut creams are very popular in Europe. Of all the nuts,

blanched almonds yeild the nicest cream, one that is white in color

with a mild but intriguing flavor, especially when enhanced with

almond extract. Some gourmet markets stock time-saving whole blanched

almonds. Cashews are mild in flavor and tan in color when raw (not

toasted). They are naturally sweeter and more suitable for use in

making a nut cream filling or topping than either pine nuts or

hazelnuts - pine nuts are bland and oily and hazelnut cream is light

brown in color.

 

Rich and smooth, nut creams make great alternatives to regular

whipped cream and even tofu cream. Depending on the amount of liquid

added, the consistency can be varied to serve as a dessert cream or

sauce, a spreadable icing, or a paste that can be piped through a

pastry bag. Color changes from white to cream and tan according to

how much sweetener is added and to the liquid chosen (e.g.,, juice

makes color tanner than does water).