If it were not for the nut flour, we would not be able to enjoy many delicacies. There would be no Christmas cookies, the famous marzipan, which is made from almond flour and sugar syrup, oriental sweets melting in the mouth and vegan nut milk. If you add nut flour to the dough for bread or biscuit, they will acquire an exquisite taste and aroma. How to make nut flour from almonds hazelnuts and peanuts?
What is nut flour made from?
Nut flour is ground nuts of fine grinding, and it is prepared from the cake that remains after the production of nut butter. The cake is dried with hot steam and nut flour is obtained. At the same time, nuts can be both fried and raw, which affects the taste and nutritional properties of flour.
Basically, nut flour is prepared from peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios, walnuts and pine nuts, and ground seeds and dried fruits are sometimes added to it for taste. If you use pistachios, take unsalted or lightly salted nuts — they can be found in stores.
Nut flour is very useful because it contains proteins, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, improves the functioning of the heart, liver and kidneys, does not contain harmful cholesterol, strengthens the immune system and restores strength after heavy physical exertion.
In cooking, nut flour is used as a delicious and aromatic thickener for sauces and for dough, it is added to yoghurts, salads, snacks and hot dishes, porridges and desserts are prepared with it. Nut flour gives the dishes a subtle nutty aroma, refined taste and increases their vitamin value.
How to make nut flour? How to make nut flour from almonds hazelnuts and peanuts?
Since due to the high fat content, fresh nut flour is not subject to long-term storage, it is worth learning how to make it yourself immediately before use. In addition, under the influence of air, the fatty acids contained in nuts are very quickly oxidized, and flour loses its useful properties. So homemade flour is better, besides, you will always be sure of its quality, the absence of preservatives and other additives.
Try to make flour from almonds, and you will see that it is quite possible to prepare flour at home. Pour boiling water over the nuts and let them stand for about 10 minutes, drain the water, rinse the almonds well and pour boiling water over it again for 10 minutes. After these procedures, the skin is easily separated, although it is quite possible that one hot “bath” is enough for almonds, after which the skin will peel off itself. It all depends on the maturity and quality of the nuts.
Blot the almonds with a towel so that there is no excess moisture left, and then dry them in the oven for 15 minutes — the oven should be preheated to 284F. You can also dry the nuts in a frying pan, without forgetting to stir them constantly so as not to burn, or in a natural way — in the air, leaving them for several days. It is important that the nuts are not fried or baked, namely dried, so the temperature should not be high.
Now it remains to grind the almonds in a food processor, a powerful blender, a food processor or a coffee grinder, sift through a fine sieve, and the flour is ready! Flour from peanuts and other varieties of nuts is prepared according to the same principle. Whether it is worth grinding nuts in a meat grinder is a personal matter for everyone, but some housewives note that the meat grinder contributes to the release of oil from nuts.
Secrets of cooking nut flour. How to make nut flour from almonds hazelnuts and peanuts?
Nut flour for confectionery products should be finely ground. This is primarily flour, and not just ground nuts. It is very important that when grinding nuts, there is no release of oil, otherwise the flour will not work.
If you decide to grind nuts in a coffee grinder, lay them in small batches and turn on the grinder for no more than 20 seconds, otherwise the knives will overheat, the nuts will release oil and stick together. Periodically shake the coffee grinder so that the nut flour does not stick to the walls and knives. If this still happened, it means that the nuts are too wet, and you need to dry them in the oven for 5 minutes at a temperature of 284F.
When you sift the nut flour through a sieve, the remaining grains of nuts can be transferred back to the coffee grinder, ground and sifted-until all the nuts turn into flour.
There are some features of working with different nuts. For example, not everyone knows how to make hazelnut flour without soaking. The fact is that the skin of this nut cracks when frying, and then it is easily removed if you pour the nuts on a towel and rub, so you can not soak the hazelnuts. It is enough to pour boiling water over the pistachios, and then dry them in the oven.
Walnut sauce for meat and poultry
This sauce is served with meat as a gravy for a side dish. The sauce should be white and thick, and selected kernels of light walnuts are used for it.
For the sauce, it is not necessary to make fine flour, so the nuts do not need to be pre — dried in the oven-just chop them as small as possible in a blender or coffee grinder, you can scroll the nuts in a meat grinder or grind them in a mortar in the old way. Next, mix the nut flour, an incomplete teaspoon of salt and 6-7 crushed small cloves of garlic in the bowl of a blender, and then pour in a little warm boiled water.
Whether to add spices is a matter of personal taste. The aroma of garlic and nuts is enough, and for lovers of spices, you can use pepper, saffron, hops-suneli. Pour the juice of half a lemon into the nut base. And now gradually pour in warm boiled water until the sauce acquires the consistency of kefir — in total you will need about 2 cups of water.
Pieces of chicken or fish can be put directly into the sauce, it is no less delicious with vegetables, bread and fragrant tortillas. Nut sauce will transform the taste of any dish.
Recipe for cookies made from nut flour
There is no flour in this cookie at all, so it will fit perfectly into the diet, besides, it can be consumed by people suffering from grain intolerance. Cookies are prepared easily and quickly, and their taste is very pleasant and unusual — after all, the flour in this recipe is completely replaced by nuts. The amount of sugar can be increased or decreased at will-it all depends on what degree of sweetness you like more.
Mix 2 eggs and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar until smooth, add 1 cup of nut flour from any nuts. You can grind several types of nuts for a variety, and for piquancy add salt, cinnamon, cardamom, lemon zest or a few drops of vanilla essence to the dough to taste.
Roll up walnut-sized balls, place them on a baking sheet covered with pastry paper or a silicone mat, and press down a little. Bake for 15 minutes at a temperature of 356 F. Do not worry if cracks appear on the surface of the cookie: this is how it should be.
Nut cookies are covered with a crust on the outside, but inside they are soft, tender and crumbly. Enjoy a healthy dessert!
Nut cake without flour
A light and airy cake with the aroma of hazelnuts will appeal to the most strict gourmets, because it combines sophistication and the principles of a healthy diet. This is a stunningly delicious and delicate dessert, especially if you will use whipped cream for its layer.
Prepare the nut flour from 12.35oz hazelnuts and mix it with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Beat 6 egg yolks and 4.41oz sugar with a mixer — the result should be a mass of a light yellow shade. Mix the yolks with the nut flour and whisk 6 proteins well, and then very carefully and in small portions transfer the protein mixture to the nut base, stirring gently. The dough should be homogeneous, without lumps.
Brush the mold with butter, lightly sprinkle it with flour, lay out the nut mass and bake for about an hour at a temperature of 356F. When the top of the biscuit starts to spring, turn off the oven, pull out the mold and let the biscuit cool down a little in it. After that, carefully remove the sponge cake from the mold and leave it on the table until it finally cools down.
Cut the sponge cake into 3 cakes, whisk 2 cups of heavy cream into a strong foam, lay the cakes on top of each other, smearing them with cream. Also decorate the cake on top, and then sprinkle with chopped nuts. Feel free to prepare a nut cake for the holidays — all guests will like it!
Try sprinkling nut flour on any salad or porridge-the dish will immediately sparkle with new flavors. Eat nuts more often, especially in winter, when the immune system weakens, treat your household with delicious snacks and experiment in the kitchen when you are in the mood! Bon Appetit!