almond milk + almond cookies

The store-bought almond milk is often composed of a long list of atypical ingredients. No, thanks! Not for me! So I made my own fresh almond milk with just almonds + water. Yes, you will only need 2 ingredients and will even end up with some almond meal leftovers, which you can turn into some almond cookies. No waste, please!

almond milk
by about com

1 cup raw almonds
water for soaking nuts
3 cups water
2 dates (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

1. Soak the almonds in water overnight or for at least 6 hours.
2. Drain the water from the almonds and discard.
3. Blend the 3 cups of water, almonds and dates until well blended and almost smooth.
4. Strain the blended almond mixture using a cheesecloth or other strainer.  [table etc.: keep the "almond meal" leftovers to be used for the almond cookies recipe]
5. Homemade raw almond milk will keep well in the refrigerator for three or four days.

almond cookies [Flemish macaroons]
by everybody eats well in belgium (p.275)

1 cup almond meal [table etc.: storebough or drained from the almond milk (step 4 above)]
3/4 cup sugar
2 large egg whites
1/2 ts almond extract
1/2 ts rose water or orange extract (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

1bis. table etc.: spread the almond meal evenly on prepared baking sheet and let dry in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool down.

2. In a food processor, put the almond meal + sugar and pulse a few times until combined.

3. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the egg whites, almond extract, and rose water, if using. Use a rubber spatula to combine all the ingredients. You should have a rather sticky dough that is stiff enough to drop in small mounds onto the cookie sheet.

4. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 3 inches between mounds.

5.Bake until light brown, 15 to 20 minutes. The insides of the cookies should remain soft and chewy.

6. Immediately remove the cookies with a metal spatula to cool on a wire rack. If the cookies are sticking to the paper, pour a little bit of water under the parchment paper onto the cookie sheet. The steam should loosen the cookies.

7. When the cookies are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container, where they will keep for several weeks, or freeze them up to 3 months.