Post #686332 by Sunny&Rummy on Thu, Jul 18, 2013 9:08 AM

On 2013-07-18 08:29, jingleheimerschmidt wrote:

On 2013-07-18 04:09, The Gnomon wrote:
....but it's still a pain in the ass to do...

I dunno, I forget the originator of this recipe, but I don't think making orgeat from scratch is that complicated.

I use:

1 to 1.5 pounds of slivered, blanched almonds from Trader Joes roasted at 400 for 10-15 min with a flip in between. Then I chop them with my slap chopper gizmo (not too fine). Simmer almonds with 4 cups of water for 2-3 minutes. Turn off and let sit overnight. In the morning, strain (coarse strainer then mesh bag). Measure liquid (usually around 3 cups). Heat liquid then add equal amounts of sugar. Stir and let cool. Add 1/8 tsp of orange blossom and rose (optional) water and increase to taste. I also add 1-2 oz of vodka for a preservative.

It makes enough orgeat to supply with a summer's worth of mai tais. Tastes wonderful!

That is just about what I do with my homemade orgeat, except I toast just very lightly otherwise the orgeat comes out darker than I like. A also usually add a teaspoon of bitter almond extract, but it's good either way.

I ran out of the homemade stuff a couple of weeks ago and have not had a chance to make more so I've been suffering with commercial stuff (Fee Bros.) and it is wretched.