Almond Meal

First and foremost, we need to clear the confusion about what is almond meal? As the name suggests, almond meal is nothing but blanched sweet almonds ground to get the mixture. It is a type of flour which is used by blanching sweet almonds first, removing its skin, and then grinding it into a flour consistency.

Often known as almond flour or meal can also be made with whole almonds. While making a variety of desserts like cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, muffins, breads, and even pancakes, almond meal is used vastly.

People who are advised to follow a low carbohydrate diet often make use of this flour rather than wheat or corn flour in their foods. Recipes made with this flour can be cooked in a short amount of time and have a particular nutty taste. While making baked goods, often times we worry about the moisture contents in them.

Sometimes, with over-baking or discrepancies in ingredients, baked goods come out tasting dry. However, when you use this specific flour, it in fact adds more moisture to the food. Having said that, in the next sections, you will see how the flour can be made at home, its nutritional information, and some delicious recipes as well. Take a look.

How It's Made

There is another benefit of cooking with almond flour. People who are allergic to gluten, they can easily substitute it for wheat flour or white flour. The following recipe will give you 1 cup of almond meal, which can be then used furthermore for making various desserts.

• To prepare the flour, you'll require ½ cup un-blanched whole almonds, a coffee grinder, a flour sifter, and a glass container (to store the flour). Once you gather these items, move on to the next step.
• Using un-blanched almonds gives you more nutrition from the food. So take the coffee grinder, pour the almonds in, and place the lid on top.

• Push the 'on' button on the coffee grinder to crush the almonds properly. Keep checking the consistency as you grind; stop when the mixture turns medium-fine in texture.
• Once the mixture is ready, use the flour sifter to further strain the flour. This way, the almond skin and coarse granules will be left behind and you will get a clean, fine flour.

• If there are big granules left, place them back into the coffee grinder and crush them. Again strain them through the sifter and transfer into a clean, glass container.
• You can store the flour in the refrigerator for about 30 days. Make sure that you label the container and write the date of preparation and expiry.

Nutrients : Quantity

Calories : 160 kcal
Fats : 14 g
Calories from Fat : 110 kcal
Omega-6 Fatty Acids : 3,000 mg
Carbohydrates : 4 g
Vitamin E : 6.25 mg
Protein : 5 g
Calcium : 63 mg
Sugar : 1 g
Iron : 0.9 mg
Dietary Fiber : 3 g
Magnesium : 64 mg

If the flour is good for low-carb diet, then knowing its nutritional data is also important. Apart from being low in carbohydrates, the flour is a rich source of protein and fatty acids. In the following table, we have provided the nutritional information for one serving (¼ cup) of the flour.

Making delicious desserts and baked goods with almond flour is very simple. Just follow the recipes mentioned below and you'll find out yourself.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups + 2 tablespoons almond meal
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup (250 g) caster sugar
• 1 pinch salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 15 g butter
• Few drops rum essence

For Icing

• 1 cup icing sugar
• ½ cup water, as required

Directions

Preheat the oven at 350º F and melt the butter in the microwave. Keep the butter aside. In a bowl, separate egg whites from the yolks and whisk them till they turn stiff. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla essence in.

Keep whisking properly and then add the melted butter, baking powder, spices, and cocoa powder in. After that, fold the 2¼ cups flour in (no whisking) to prepare the dough. Once firm, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour onto your workstation and knead the dough properly. With a rolling pin, roll the dough 1 cm thick and use different shapes of cookie cutters.

Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet and into the oven for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix icing sugar and water together. Boil the water to dissolve the sugar. When the cookies are ready, bring them out of the oven and keep on the cookie rack. Generously brush the icing sugar liquid over the cookies and let them cool before serving.

Ingredients

• 6 dates
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup blanched almond flour
• ½ cup sea salt
• ½ cup flax meal
• ½ cup raisins
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat the oven at 350º F. Take a large bowl to mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and flax meal together. In a blender, combine eggs, dates, water, and olive oil together. Make sure to get a smooth paste. Add this mixture with the flour mixture along with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and raisins.

Combine into a smooth batter and keep them on the side. Take the muffin pan, line them with muffin papers and pour a spoonful of batter in. Place the muffin pan inside the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Once the muffins are ready, remove them from the oven, let them cool down a bit, and serve.

So, weren't these recipes simple? The story gave you information on what this flour is, how it is made at home, its nutritional data, and some recipes. Search for more recipes and make delicious baked stuff with almond flour.