A new cookbook is such a good treat.  Whether it’s on loan from the library or all mine from my great local bookstore, I always love to curl up on the couch or in bed with a new cookbook.  And I just got a good one.

I’m telling you about it because you might think that the Food in Jars cookbook, by Marisa McClellan of the delightful Food in Jars blog, is only for us fringe types who are into canning.  Not so!  First of all, this is truly small-batch stuff, with most of the recipes yielding a manageable 2 or 3 pints of jam or pickles.  No need to can those–give one to the neighbors and put the other(s) in your fridge; they’ll be gone in no time.  Second, there are also plenty of recipes that have nothing to do with canning: think of them instead as recipes for foods that you could put in jars, if the urge struck, but it would be mostly for decorative purposes.  Granolas.  Nut butters.  Pancake mixes.  Infused salts.  This recipe falls into that latter category.

I meant  to put it in a jar, I really did,  but unfortunately I halved the recipe.  Served alongside a plate of apple slices, it was gone before the jar question even came into play.  The full recipe is below, and I don’t recommend halving it.Maple-Roasted Almond Butter: On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment, toss 2 c. raw almonds with 2 Tbsp. maple syrup until your fingers are delicious.  Roast at 325 for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the almonds are deeply glazed.  Pulse in a food processor a few times to break them up, then add 1/4 tsp. salt and 2 Tbsp. walnut oil.  Grind, scraping down the sides as needed, as the texture progresses from coarse to crumbly to creamy almond butter.