Ingredients
- 1 cup pistachios, shelled, blanched and skinned (instructions below)
- 1 cup almonds, blanched and skinned roughly 3/4 cup granulated sugar (or
- sweeten with a mild honey or light agave nectar)
- 1/2 cup or so hot water
- couple pinches of salt
Preparation
Step 1
To blanch the almonds and pistachios just drop them in a pot of boiling water for a minute or so. I use a slotted spoon to remove a couple of test nuts. Test one of the almond, the skins should puff out a bit and slide of easily with a good pinch. The pistachios are a little trickier because of their funky shapes and you might need to coax the skins off using a variety of any of the following: pinching, picking, or rubbing.
The next step is to make a nut puree. Place the nuts, and about 1/2 cup hot water in food processer, or use a hand blender. You may need to add more water to thin things out - just add a bit at a time, you're in trouble if you add too much. Make the butter consistency that is easily spreadable, enough that the bread is not torn when it is spread on it.
Stir in about 3/4 of a cup of sugar to sweeten the pistachio butter. You might like a little more or a little less. Start with 1/4 cup and add in 1/4 cup increments from there (or use honey or light agave nectar in place of the sugar.) Stir in a pinch or two of salt to pull everything together.
Makes about 2 cups.