Almonds continue to be one of the main spices. Indeed, as a nut (although almonds are a stone fruit), almonds are rarely used in cooking. Its by-products are more common: almond flour and almond petals. The latter are actively used to decorate desserts. Using almond petals, you can transform absolutely any sweetness and make it the crown of the evening.
On the website https://delgusto.ua/ua you can purchase almond petals ready to eat. If the petals are needed in the evening (the holiday has appeared unexpectedly), it is quite possible to cope on your own. To do this, buy almonds at the supermarket, not at the market. It is important that the almonds are large and selected.
Almond petals or almond flakes - use in cooking
Almond flakes or shavings or flakes are a product obtained by grinding whole fresh almonds.
They are small thin plates cut from nuts and have an identical composition.
Such nut kernels, cut into thin slices, are widely used in cooking for preparing various dishes.
Such confectionery decorations are added to many sweet dishes, as they help not only improve their taste, but also their appearance.
It is worth noting the high calorie content of these slices, as it is 650 kcal per 100 grams of petals.
In industry, almond flakes are made from fresh nuts, which are first peeled, then cut into thin slices and dried in ovens.
The result is a very light, fragile product used in cooking to decorate a wide variety of dishes.
almond petals - methods of use
As you already understand, almond petals are most often used to decorate ready-made desserts and various pastries.
Often these flakes are used to decorate such confectionery products as:
- pie;
- cream cake;
- assorted cakes;
- they will pair with muffins, chocolate chip cookies, or any other baked goods made with cocoa.
- loose cookies.
Other uses for almond flakes:
- They are also very often added to muesli or oatmeal to give the finished dish a special taste and characteristic aroma.
- It is also possible to cook meat or fish dishes with them. Fish or meat can be rolled in flakes before frying. This will give the finished dish a unique aroma and a slightly perceptible tartness.
Is it possible to make almond flakes at home?
Due to the fact that almond petals are quite an expensive product, many have begun to think about how to make them at home at minimal cost.
Turns out it's quite simple:
- To prepare them, you need to pour boiling water over fresh almonds and leave over high heat for 3 minutes.
- Then turn off the heat, cover with a lid and keep in boiling water for another 30 minutes, until the brown peel begins to easily separate from the kernels. There is no need to leave in boiling water for a longer time, as the kernels will begin to change color from the skin and lose their whiteness.
- Peel the prepared nuts and dry well.
- After treatment with boiling water, the kernels become softer and more flexible, which greatly simplifies the process of slicing them.
- If, when cutting, the nuts begin to crumble, then you need to pour boiling water over them again and keep them covered for 20 minutes.
- Cut each kernel with a sharp knife into several thin slices. It’s easier to chop nuts using a regular vegetable peeler. This will give you smooth and neat flakes.
- Then dry them thoroughly in a frying pan or in the oven.
How to roast almond flakes?
To give the flakes a more beautiful appearance and aroma, you can fry them.
When roasted, the nut acquires a unique, slightly tart taste.
For frying, you can use a frying pan, oven or microwave:
- When frying, you need to pour the plates into a dry frying pan, and stirring all the time, heat until a slightly golden hue appears. It is necessary to take into account that when removed from the heat, the nut will still remain in the pan for some time, which is why the color will become darker.
- Thin strips should be fried in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 250 degrees. To prepare, place them on a dry baking sheet evenly in one thin layer and stir 1-2 times during the cooking process.
- It takes 4-5 minutes to cook in the microwave, and at the same time, it is important to stir the plates every minute so that they are fried evenly. They must be distributed in one thin layer. If desired, you can add various spices or granulated sugar to give the desired taste. After preparation, you can use them for their intended purpose.
Almond flakes - what can you replace them with in baking?
If there are no almond petals, then they can be replaced with the most ordinary oatmeal.
To do this, pour about 120 grams of rolled oats into a frying pan and fry until golden brown. This will give it a kind of nutty flavor.
If you add a little plum during frying. oil, the rolled oats will acquire a marzipan aroma.
Hercules can be added to dough or used as a decoration for various desserts and other dishes.
For salads, you can use slightly toasted pine nuts, which will acquire a delicate smoky aroma when roasted.
How to choose almond petals?
Appearance is very important, since a high-quality product must be completely dry, clean, and free of impurities.
It should not contain preservatives or sugars. The taste has a slight pleasant tartness, but is not bitter.
It is better to store them in the freezer section, as this will keep the flakes fresh for 12 months.
Almond petals are a valuable food product and an excellent decoration, widely used in the preparation of a wide variety of dishes.
Use them in cooking and cook with pleasure!
general information
First, let's look at the petals. The almond kernels, peeled from the brown skin, are cut into thin slices. In appearance they resemble petals or flakes. They can be eaten salted or fried. But most often, housewives use almond “petals” to decorate baked goods and desserts (for example, ice cream, cakes, biscuits, muffins). It turns out to be a real culinary masterpiece.
We will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 50 g whole almonds.
Detailed instructions:
Step No. 1. Place whole almonds on the table. We split each of them using a heavy hammer. But we do this carefully to avoid damaging the inner (white) part.
Step No. 2. We take out the kernels in the brown skin. It is from these that we will subsequently make almond petals. Place the kernels in a glass bowl. Fill with cold water. The liquid should completely cover them. Leave the almonds in this form for 24 hours. Don't forget to change the water periodically. Such actions will help rid the kernels of bitterness and a yellowish tint.
Step No. 3. After 24 hours, peel the grains using a utility knife. The peel is removed easily and quickly. You just need to grab the edge with a knife and pull it.
Step No. 4. Transfer the peeled kernels to a cutting board. Using another (sharp) knife, cut them as thin as possible. If you get almost transparent and slightly oblong petals, then we did everything right. For those who want to save time, we suggest cutting the almond grains crosswise rather than lengthwise.
Step No. 5. Place the “petals” into a dry and cold frying pan with a non-stick coating. Dry them on low heat. Be sure to stir. This will get rid of excess moisture. The drying process of almond flakes will take 5-7 minutes.
Step No. 6. Transfer the “petals” to a plate. You can decorate desserts with them or add them to baked goods, after crushing them in a mortar. Many people throw away the shells of almond kernels, considering them useless. However, it can be used to give a richer color to alcoholic drinks (liqueur, cognac, etc.).
How to make your own almonds
It's simple, although somewhat labor intensive. You need to peel the soaked almonds from the skins and, using a vegetable peeler, carefully cut off the petals from the kernels:
Dry the petals in a dehydrator, transfer to a jar and use as needed.
In my experience, at best, one almond kernel produces 3 whole petals. So, you’ll have to tinker. But it's worth it! Almond petals can be used to decorate live kitchen dishes in an amazingly beautiful way.
For example, look at this recipe for a healthy dessert:
- Almond cake
Now let's get back to milk.
2. Place thoroughly washed nuts (and, of course, what is left of the almonds) into a blender and add a glass of water. Grind for 1-2 minutes:
Keep in mind - the less water, the richer the taste of the milk.
3. Strain the resulting mass through 3-4 layers of gauze and squeeze out the nut cake thoroughly:
By the way, this funny process, similar to milking cows, makes children very happy
You can refill the cake with a glass of water and repeat the procedure, but I like a richer taste, so I don’t refill the cake.
5. Basically, almond milk is ready. The taste is amazing!
But you can enhance the impression and grind the almond milk in a blender again with the addition of honey and a pinch of salt.
And if you use dates instead of honey, the almond milk will take on a gingerbread flavor - absolutely delicious!
Decor:
Pour milk into a beautiful glass and get pleasure and maximum benefit!
PS I’ve written more than once about how I prefer not to store food, but they say almond milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours. Shake before use.
You can make a lot of useful things from the remaining nut cake - cheese, ice cream, cookies, bread - I will definitely publish recipes, so subscribe to blog updates so as not to miss anything interesting.
And from the nut milk itself you can make amazingly tasty and healthy drinks, for example:
- milkshakes
Afterword
Almond flakes not only make the dessert look delicious, but also add calories. Those who watch their figure should take this into account. The calorie content of almond “petals” is 50 kcal/100 g.
It’s unlikely that anyone can convince me that animal milk is good for humans. To be honest, this is not even a topic for discussion. But I have no complaints about nut milk - the color, appearance, and taste of real milk. At the same time - only benefits!
In my opinion, of all the types of nuts and seeds, the best milk comes from almonds.
Indecently tasty almond milk contains tens of times more calcium than cow's milk, and it is absorbed much better. Plus - vitamin E, plus - no lactose and casein, plus - children really like it. By the way, both the process and the result
