I love nut butters. Besides the dairy, salted variety, I would argue that they might be the best thing to happen to sliced bread since these people started selling their wares. Peanut, almond, cashew, pecan- each one is unique in the the way they upgrade a brown-bag lunch (and make me feel like a slightly more sophisticated sandwich maker).
A few weeks ago, I caught the pistachio butter bug. After a friend of mine explained how delicious it was- and how shocked he was that I hadn’t tried it yet- I knew I had to have it. In my zeal I scoured the shelves of our local health food chain, the health food chain’s sister store, then the sister store’s even smaller step-sister store. Nothing. I searched online and quickly realized that my nut butter pride came with a (monetary) price. I now had to find unsalted, unroasted, raw pistachios in enough time to not go crazy.
I might be slightly emotionally exaggerating here, but I have never been one to lack in passion for a quality food product.
By this point I had run out of gas and time, and the pistachio butter craving was threatening to lead me in a last-ditch drive to Seattle, Washington. In conclusion, and to echo the incredible Tim Gunn, I had to make it work. What I could find was salted, roasted pistachios in the shells (thank you Sally Hansen for saving my fingernails after cracking those suckers); Tupelo honey, and sea salt.
We faked it until we made it with this recipe my friends and it is fabulous. The sunshine-y taste of the Tupelo Honey gives a lightness to the salty richness of the roasted pistachios. This spread is heaven on an apple slice with a little extra drizzle of honey. Or, brown bag it with apple butter and/or strawberry jam. Use it in a macaroon or spread it on french toast before it’s fried. Or, eat it with a spoon out of your refrigerator until the craving subsides. Which for me, unfortunately, was way too far into the batch to turn back at any healthy point.
I hope you enjoy this take on a sweeter, Southerner-er version of a nut butter favorite. Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s the humidity, but let’s get nutty people!
Tupelo Honey Pistachio Butter
What You Will Need
6 tablespoons canola oil
5 tablespoons hot water
1/2 lb roasted, salted pistachios
2 1/4 teaspoons tupelo honey
2 pinches sea salt (to taste)
What You Will Do
1. BLEND!
2. Seriously; All you need to do is put the canola oil, hot water (make sure it is hot; this gives it the right consistentcy and makes the butter easier to blend), pistachios, honey, and sea salt in a blender and press pulse. Or Mix. Or whatever suits your fancy unill it is the consistency of a nut spread. Let it run until it is smoothy and creamy, taste it, and if you would like it a bit thinner, just add more hot water by the teaspoon, and adjust the saltiness by small pinches if you like it with a little more kick.