Raw Macadamia Butter

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I definitely think macadamia nuts are an acquired taste... especially when they're raw.  Personally, I think they are actually somewhat bitter, but have a sweet and buttery aftertaste.  I wasn't a fan of them when I snacked on a few straight from the tub, so I thought making a nut butter out of it would be a good idea (sorry macs, I'll stick with the almonds).  That way I can spread it on... anything really.

So why did I buy a bunch of macadamias?  I was walking down the grocery store nut aisle and I stopped to see what these giant, white, marble-like things were.  They ended up being macadamia nuts, but I honestly didn't know what they were at first.  I guess I'm just used to seeing roasted, chopped macadamias in cookies rather than in their whole form in a clear tub.  They were so odd, they weren't that expensive, so in the shopping cart they went.




After I bought the nuts, I thought I could do a little cost comparison with the macadamia butter I used to buy from Artisana and my homemade version, just like how I did with my almond butter.

An 8oz jar of Artisana's Raw Macadamia Butter (which also contains cashews) costs $13.99.
8oz of of homemade Raw Macadamia Butter costs $11.98 (or $17.98 for 12oz, how much the recipe makes).
It's only a $2.01 difference, but homemade nut butter is fresh, more nutritious and much more satisfying to eat.  Plus, for those of you like me (aka, allergic to cashews), then this will save you $2.01 and an allergic reaction!  :)


Raw Macadamia Butter:
(makes 1.5 cups)
   3 cups Raw Macadamia Nuts (you can always use roasted as well)

Directions:

1.  Pulse macadamias in a food processor until crumb-like.

2.  Grind the nuts, scraping down the sides of the processor when necessary (I did this at 1-minute intervals since I have a small food processor).  Macadamias turn into butter pretty quickly, unlike almonds!.  Feel free to add salt or stevia to taste, I left mine plain.

3.  Scoop the nut butter into a pretty jar that seals tightly.  Seal tightly and refrigerate to store.