Almond milk consists of ground-up almonds steeped in hot water and then drained. While almond milk might seem like a modern alternative to traditional cow's milk for vegans and lactose intolerant individuals, people have used almond milk since the Middle Ages, particularly during fasting days when individuals were not allowed to consume dairy products. If you are cooking with almond milk as a substitute for cream in soups, stews, gravies, custards or other items, you may need to thicken it. Almond milk thickens as easily as cow's milk.
Pour your designated amount of almond milk into a small saucepan. Turn on the stove underneath the almond milk to low heat.
Measure out rice flour in a measuring cup. You will need approximately 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of almond milk.
Pour your measured amount of rice flour into the saucepan very gradually. Your goal is to shake it in little by little, while stirring the almond milk vigorously. The almond milk will thicken up dramatically.
Add sugar to taste by mixing in 2 tsp of white or brown sugar at a time. Stir and taste the mixture with a spoon after you have added the sugar so you do not over- or under-sweeten it.
Add the thickened almond milk to a dish or sauce that you are currently preparing or allow it to cool, and place it in a plastic storage container for later use.
References
- "Home Baking"; Jeffrey Alford, et al; 2003
- "Art, Culture, and Cuisine: Ancient and Medieval Gastronomy"; Phyllis Pray Bober; 1999
Writer Bio
Lane Cummings is originally from New York City. She attended the High School of Performing Arts in dance before receiving her Bachelor of Arts in literature and her Master of Arts in Russian literature at the University of Chicago. She has lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she lectured and studied Russian. She began writing professionally in 2004 for the "St. Petersburg Times."