Almond Flour?

[MinerMomx3]

I'm really, really new to the PP Plan (joined in June but got sidetracked by a family crisis). But I'm back, ready to do this thing! I read the "PP Comfort Food Cookbook" and saw that a lot of recipes call for almond meal or flour. I have priced it at several stores in my area and it's VERY expensive ($11.95 for 16 oz). Can you make almond flour at home? What kitchen utensil can do that? Do I need a wheat grinder?

[bluejay111]

I've bought the shaved almonds in bulk at the grocery store then ground them in a coffee bean mill. I've only used the ground almonds for crust in a cheesecake.

[Gaelen]

I use a Cuisinart...and also you can get almond flour over the web in bulk from several sources. Try googling 'the nutty guys' because I think they had the best prices. Hope this helps.

[cmcole]

Don't use your flour mill.
The oils in the nuts will clog it (speaking from experience).

A blender can do it, if powerful enough (and in small batches).
Even one of those hand grinders that can grind hard cheeses or chocolate (the name escapes me at the moment).

[Belfrybat]

I use my vitamixer, but have to be careful as it can get it so fine it begins to clump into "butter". I've also used the food processor, but it leaves a few lumps, which can be sifted out. Bob's Red Mill makes an almond meal for $5.99 a bag from whole almonds. I like the taste of it better than the blanched.

[deirdra]

For those of you who use food processors, what blades & speeds do you use to get it fine but not buttery? Do you have to do a lot of pulsing & stirring? Stores around here carry lots of Bob's Red Mill flours, but not the almond flour.

I do find that grinding nuts with other ingredients (like flax seeds & stevia) prevents the nuts from getting sticky, but I don't like having to guess how many almonds will make X amount of flour.

[Belfrybat]

With the Vitamixer, I use medium speed and pulse. That would be similar to high speed on a regular blender. My food processor came over on the Nina, Pinta or Santa Maria, so only has one speed. I turn it on until the almonds are much like meal-- a minute or two-- then scrape the bowl and pulse from then on. Actually, almonds are a dry enough nut that you shouldn't have trouble with it turning into butter in a food processor. I only have trouble in the Vitamixer becasue it is so highpowered.

[Gaelen]

I use the basic "S" shaped blade, the one I use for nearly everything, and I pulse until I have the consistency I like.

With peanuts, walnuts and pecans, which have a much higher oil content, I find that I can turn them into butter with the least amount of inattention. Almonds have a higher mistake tolerance. ;)

[Ottawa]

I do find that grinding nuts with other ingredients (like flax seeds & stevia) prevents the nuts from getting sticky, but I don't like having to guess how many almonds will make X amount of flour.

Going by FitDay.com, the nutritional amount is the same for a cup of blanched almonds and a cup of almond flour so they must be very close.

[Belfrybat]

Unlike grinding flax seed which more than doubles in bulk, almonds seem to keep about the same volume. You could always start with 2 cups raw and then measure after grinding to doublecheck.

[Inez]

If you mail order almond meal, Bob's Red Mill is good and Lucy's Kitchen is excellent. I've tried the stuff from Nutty Guys and I'm not real happy with the texture or the flavor. The texture is courser than most and the flavor is not real fresh -- it has a somewhat dusty taste.

[sinkcar]

If you've got a Trader Joe's anywhere near you, the sell almond meal for $4.99/lb!