Vanilla Cashew Macadamia Milk

I sometimes find myself feeling a sort of guilt when buying things at the store I know are ridiculously easy to make at home. Usually I will stand and stare at something, say for instance almond milk, for ages while having an internal debate in my head. I'll tell myself I don't need to buy it because I can make it easily at home. But then I will ask myself if I will find the time and energy to do it. And then the debate will go back and forth usually ending up with me giving in and buying the item in question. This happens at least once per grocery trip if not multiple times.

Do you ever feel this way? It has kept me from buying things like hummus, crackers, and cookies in the past because I know I can make my own versions at home that are much more to my liking. Not to mention they will be fresher, healthier, and usually cost less money. It seems like a win-win situation, right? The only catch is finding the time in your schedule to do it.

A couple of weeks ago, after being consistently sick of the odd taste and list of added stabilizers/preservatives in store-bought nut milks, I gave in and decided to make my own for two weeks in a row. I made sure to put it on my calendar so I wouldn't forget to soak the nuts ahead of time. I've made almond milk in the past but this time I was inspired to change it up by this beautiful post by Lindsey. She made a really creamy version with the addition of macadamias which got me thinking. The first version I made was a combination of almonds and cashews because it is what I had on hand and I knew cashews would lend their creaminess to the mix. It was great and admittedly the first time I have willingly drank nut milk on its own. The next batch was an attempt to get the creamiest, smoothest nut milk with the combination of cashews and macadmias. It worked beautifully and it is what I'm sharing with you here.

I know it might seem silly to share such a simple recipe/method but I figured you deserved to have this nut milk in your life. I would highly recommend adding a dash of cinnamon and cardamom if you want to drink it on its own or add it to coffee/tea. It is so tasty and deliciously creamy that I almost wanted to put a big straw in the carafe and drink it straightaway after straining. Since macadamias are a little harder to find (and more expensive!) you can always use blanched almonds in their place and it will still be a killer nut milk. Let me know in the comments if you have any other favorite combos!

Vanilla Cashew Macadamia Milk
notes: I do not own a nut milk bag as I find a thin, clean kitchen towel and a sieve to work just as well. I use plain white flour sack towels. If you own a nut milk bag, please feel free to use it instead of my method described below. A bit of separation is natural so make sure to shake the milk a bit before using. 

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw macadamias
water for soaking

contents of 1 or 2 vanilla beans (or 1-2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
pinch of sea salt
4 cups filtered water
splash of maple syrup (optional)

Put the cashews and macadamias in a bowl, cover with water, then cover the bowl with a towel and let the nuts soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Once the nuts have soaked, drain and rinse them, then place them in a blender along with the vanilla, sea salt, 4 cups of water, and the maple syrup. Blend on high until the mixture has been liquefied.

Place a sieve over a large bowl, then line it with a kitchen towel ( I use the thin flour sack ones). Slowly pour the nut milk mixture into the sieve. The liquid will drain through into the bowl. To help it along towards the end, you can squeeze the remaining liquid out out the pulp using the towel. The nut milk will have drained into the bowl while the pulp will be left in the towel. Transfer the milk to a clean jar and refrigerate up to one week. Shake if necessary before using. Makes about one quart.

As for the nut pulp, you can save it in either the fridge of freezer. I'll be sharing some ways to use it in the next week or two.