This recipe is one of Matías favourites: nutty, chocolate-y and slightly sweet, nothing to do with the sugar laden store bought cartons. The soaking of the nuts is important as it breaks down the phytic acid in them, making them more digestible.
I've done a combination of cashews and hazelnuts here. Cashews add an incredible creaminess and also help stabilizing the mylk -preventing curdling when heated- without the addition of chemicals, the hazelnuts are key for that Nutella flavour everyone loves.
This recipe makes 1 litre of Nutella Mylk*
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup hazelnuts, skin on
4 cups filtered water + extra for soaking
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
You will need a blender, a nut milk bag or some muslin cloth and a glass bottle to keep mylk.
METHOD:
Soak nuts overnight with enough water to cover them and a pinch of salt, I usually put them in the fridge to extend their shelf life once mylk is made.
Next day drain the soaking water, rinse and drain. In a high power blender, blend nuts with 3 cups of water, using your nut milk bag or a piece of muslin cloth and a colander under it, strain the liquid, squeezing with your hands. Add the 4th cup of water over the pulp to get maximum flavour and to get all the liquid. Rinse your blender and blend strained mylk with cacao powder, vanilla and maple syrup. Keep refrigerated in a glass bottle. Nut mylks keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. Don't throw away the pulp, it is delicious mix in your porridge, added to your granola before baking in the oven or as a thickener fo smoothies.
*Mylk = Non dairy milk usually made of nuts but also made of oats, rice and seeds.