Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk

We go through quite a bit of almond milk in our house - if it wasn't for coffee we would probably only buy almond milk (we are both 2-cream 2-sugar kind of people).  We are huge fans of the chocolate variety as well, I can't wait to start experimenting with different chocolate recipes.

I really liked the homemade almond milk -  I was really surprised at just how creamy it was - it looked like whole milk!  I think if I were to buy fresher almonds (I got them from the bulk section of my small town grocery store) - it would have tasted even better. 

Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 4 cups filtered water, plus more for soaking
- 1/4 vanilla bean (optional)

Directions

Place almonds in a medium bowl and cover with water.  Soak for at least 6 hours.  The almonds can be soaked for up to 12 hours, but anything past 6 requires a change of water. 

Rinse and drain almonds, then peel the skins off.  It should be fairly easy to peel the them once they have soaked.

Place peeled almonds, vanilla bean, and 4 cups of filtered water in blender and blend until smooth (about a minute). 

Strain almonds using a nut milk bag if possible.  If you don't have a nut milk bag, you can use cheese cloth (I would double or triple layer it).  Strain twice to ensure smoother milk.  You no longer need the almond pulp for this recipe, but don't throw it out, it can be used in other recipes.

Store in a glass jar or other container in the fridge.  Shake well before using. 

Enjoy!