Almond Milk & Almond Cookies Using the Same Almonds (Or What to Do With Leftover Almond Pulp After Making Almond Milk)

Almond milkToday, I started my day with a glass of almond milk. Light, a little nutty, and just a tiny bit sweet (from dates), it’s a nice alternative to cow’s milk (which alas, I cannot drink anymore as I become more lactose intolerant) and a nice change of pace from soy milk.

Like many people, I make my own almond milk, or rather, I tried making it for the first time and it came out successfully . I threw in 3 dried dates (cut up) and a splash of vanilla extract for more flavor, but there are many variations on the recipe out there.

Once I was finished making the almond milk, I strained it to get rid of the nut/date pulp. It seemed like a waste to throw away perfect good ground nuts (even if they were soggy ground nuts), so I incorporated them into a basic sugar cookie recipe:

Almond Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond nut pulp (cooled completely)
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of saltIn a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond pulp.In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.

Cover in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. (Tip: put the plastic wrap directly against the dough to keep the top from drying out.)

After chilling, form small balls of dough (Tip: I estimate just smaller than a ping pong ball or about 1 1/2 Tbsp) and gently flatten onto your foil-covered and greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart (Tip: About 3 should fit in a row).

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes (or until the bottom starts to brown and the top becomes golden).

Serve warm or, to store, let cool completely before putting into a box  or tin.