Date-Sweetened Almond Milk

Makes 4 cups

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: about 8½ hours (including minimum refrigeration time)

2 cups (10 ounces) raw almonds

2 or 3 pitted Medjool dates, or 1 tablespoon silan (date syrup)

4 cups cold water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

In a medium jar or container, cover the almonds with at least 3 inches of cold water and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24. Drain and rinse the almonds well. Place the almonds and dates in a blender with the 4 cups of cold water and blend until smooth, 1½ to 2 minutes (the more powerful your blender is, the less time this will take. Also, the more you blend, the hotter the mixture will get, which will make its fridge life a little shorter). If you have a nut-milk bag, strain the blended liquid and solids through the bag, squeezing out as much liquid as you can with clean hands. If you don’t have a nut-milk bag, strain through a double layer of cheesecloth fitted into a fine-mesh strainer and do the solid-squeezing thing. Discard the almond meal, or use it (or freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months for later use) to make Almond-Coconut Basbusa Snack Cake. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator in a tightly sealed bottle or jar, for 2 to 3 days, shaking before serving.