SC - Getting irratated-

[Marisa Herzog]

Found It!

To Make Almond Butter

Take Almondes and blanch them, and beate them in a morter verye small and in
the beating put in a little water, and when they be beaten, poure in water
into two pots, and put in halfe into one and halfe into another, and put in
suger, and stirre them still, and let them boyle a good while, then straine
it through a strainer with rose water and so dish it up.

**I believe the two pots were meant to be colored differently, then served
parti-colored.

Also:

To make Almond butter after the best and newest fashion.

take a pound of Almondes or more, and blanch themin cold water or in warme
water as you may have leysure, after the blanching let themlye one houre in
cold water, then stamp them inm faire cold water as fine as you can, then
put your Almondes in a cloth, and gather your cloth round up in your hands,
and press out the iuice as much as you can, if you thinke they be not small
enough, beate them again, and so get out milke as long as you can, then set
it ove the fire, and when it is ready to seeth, put in a good quantitie of
salte, and Rosewater that will turne it, after that is in, let it have one
boyling, and then take it from the fire, and cast it abroad upon a linnen
cloth, and underneath the Cloth scrape of the Whay so long as it will runne,
then put the butter togetherinto the midest of the cloth, binding the cloth
together, and let it hang so long as it will drop, then take peeces of
Suger, and so much fine pouder of Saffron as you think will colour it, then
let both your suger and saffron steep together in the quantitye of
Rosewater, and with that season up your butter when you will make it.

**I believe the bit about rosewater and saffron should be inserted into the
bit about using "Rosewater to Turn it" if the directions are to be listed in
correct order.  Strictly speaking, since this is not a milk product, it
cannot be 'turned' by the addition of a clotting agent. So although the
flavor would be different, it is perfectly possible to omit the rosewater
and still have a wonderful end result. This additon, however, would give you
your butter color, along with the saffron. Scraping the cloth is excellent
advice, so that the butter will drain well without 'clogging' the holes in
the cloth. My personal experience tells me to call this more of a Cheese
rather than a Butter.   


Have fun.

Aoife 
 

"Many things we need can wait. The child cannot."
				---Gabriela Mistral, Chilean Poet 1889-1957