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[Joe Pelfrey]

I just tried the almond butter recipe again, using some of the suggestions that I have recieved.

This time I didnt let it boil, so that it wouldnt cook the eggs. I cooked it until it had a pudding consistency, and then hung it in  several layers of cheescloth.

I do like the results better than my first try. This came out as a fairly thick sauce. I was surprised that it didnt set up like a pudding would. I am assuming that this is because there are no thickeners like cornstarch, or flour? I had expected it to set up in the fridge. I suppose if you baked it, it would end up being a custard. 

I like the flavor much more, but then I am a heavy cream addict. :) For personal tastes, in the future, I think that I will use less sugar and rose water. It is very very sweet...and I think the rose flavor would be better as a subtle addition, instead of reaching out and slapping your tastebuds. 

Although this time the recipe turned out more pleasing to my taste, I believe that my first attempt was actually closer to what the recipe intended. Mainly because the recipe does call for it to boil ( I know that the definition of boil may actually mean simmer), and then to hang the results so that the whey can drain out. 

I let mine sit for quite a while, and there was no whey to separate. I ended up with a small amount of the custard that leaked through the cheesecloth, but it was no different than the stuff still in the cheesecloth. So I think that the orginal recipe is supposed to be curds rather than custardy in texture. 

If this is so, then I am not sure why the addition of cream rather than milk is called for. In my first result it seems that most of the butter fat and solids from the cream drained out of the eggs. The result didnt taste much richer than regular scrambled eggs, other than for the almonds and sugar.

In any case, I like the second try better, and will probably make it again. I am considering making it again with the small cake recipe, and pouring the sauce over the currants in so that when baked they might have a currant custard type of filling. It sounds good anyway. :)

Ilia


To Make Almond [Butter ?]

Take a pinte of cream and ye youlks of 15 eggs and beat them well together.
then let them boyle, and stir them continually till they are thick. then put
them in a cloth and hang them up to let ye whey run from them, then take
halfe a quarter of a  pound of almonds and beat them well in 3 spoonfulls of
rosewater. then take ye butter out of ye cloth and heat ye almonds therwith
upon a soft fire with a quarter of a pound of beaten sugar.