I know what most people might be thinking... why, when you can just go out and buy a jar of peanut butter or something else if you wanted? The answer would be that I like knowing what goes in to my food, knowing what is good for me and what is not. An additional reality is that I always like a challenge and to try something new, and trust me, it's been a lot of trial and error.
To start, I've usually only bought the REAL peanut butter (the kind that requires refrigeration and the only ingredients are peanuts and maybe some salt) for eating on everyday things... some of the other commercial products I'll buy if I need for a recipe or certain consistency. A couple months back I decided to try and make my own peanut butter; it went OK but I definitely needed to work on the consistency factor. All in all however, it came out pretty good. The next project was a cinnamon almond butter recipe that I had found... it didn't turn out as I hoped. What was the problem - not enough time spent in the food processor (I tend to become impatient), but apparently for some nuts it can take 8-10 minutes to reach a desired consistency. I still ate the cinnamon almond butter but it was a bit crumbly, not good for spreading.
Yesterday I ran across a recipe for cake batter cashew nut butter and naturally had to try it! I went out, bought myself a bag of raw cashews and went to town.
I modified the original slightly and halved the measurement as well (I ended up with a little over half a cup)... not knowing how I would like it (I LOVED IT). My version also turned out darker in color, however it really depends on how long you roast the nuts.
Ingredients1 c raw cashews1/4 tsp kosher salt flakes1/4 -1/2 tsp vanilla extract1 T honey or sweet syrup (agave nectar, etc)
DirectionsPreheat the oven to 300F. Roast cashews on a pan for about 20-25 minutes, turning 1-2 times until lightly golden brown.
Let the nuts cool 5-10 minutes and pour into food processor. Process until butter is smooth, scraping down the bowl frequently until "butterized". Depending on your food processor, this could take 10-12 minutes.
Once smooth, add you salt, vanilla, and honey. Processing again until smooth. Cool at room temperature and pour into a jar.
*You can store nut butter at room temp for a week or two, then move to the fridge without too much problem, but I don't take chances with food safety and moved mine to the fridge from the start.
I am happy to report that the cashew butter turned out much better than my first almond butter attempt - we'll just have to see how it all goes in the future.