Sparkle Kitchen: Cashew Butter
In this week’s So Many Fairies story "The Girl of the Hazel Tree," we meet Rosa, a young lady who can have anything she wants—nice dresses, precious toys, and well-bred pets. But all she really wants is to spend time with a hazel tree elf, named Corrilus, and he with her.
When Rosa gets old enough to attend the local dances, her father tells her to turn her back on the fairy world and meet young men and women her own age. Reluctantly she goes, but is amazed to find a handsome young stranger there who looks very familiar. Could it be her adored tree elf in a man’s form?
While you can’t help which kind of tree elf you meet and fall in love with, I think if I got to choose I’d find myself a cashew tree elf. Hazelnuts are delicious and all—Nutella, anyone?—but a thick spread of cashew butter…on a toasted bagel with homemade jam…just thinking of it makes me go all weak in the knees!
Fortunately, whatever kind of nut you prefer, making homemade nut butter is so easy that it will make you question why you haven’t been doing it for years. What’s more, if you make it at home you can add anything you want to it and nothing that you don’t.
The following recipe is for my beloved cashew butter, but the general process will work for most tree nuts. I adore it with just a pinch of salt, but feel free to add a drizzle of honey or melted chocolate at the end if that’s what your heart desires.
Homemade Cashew Butter
Ingredients
1 pound cashews
1 tablespoon salt
Directions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spread the cashews on a rimmed bake sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes, being careful not to burn them. They’re done when they smell amazing!
Toss the hot cashews into a food processor and whiz them together for 5-10 minutes, stopping the food processor to scrape down the sides every 2-3 minutes. (This also gives the food processor motor a break and prevents it from burning out.)
When the mixture starts to look smooth and spreadable, add the salt and any other add-ins you would like. Store your nut butter covered in the fridge and use it up within a month or two.
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About the Author
Meryl Carver-Allmond
The Sparkle Kitchen Series is created by Meryl Carver-Allmond.
Meryl lives in a hundred-year-old house near the prairie with her sweet husband, two preschoolers, one puppy, one gecko, and about ten chickens. While she's been writing since she could pick up a pen, in recent years she's discovered the joy of photography, too. She feels lucky to be able to combine those skills, along with a third passion — showing people that cooking for themselves can be healthy and fun — in her Sparkle Kitchen posts.
