Created by yours truly as an ingredient in a cocktail for a competition which I didn't even take part in.
Roasted Almond Orgeat Syrup
(Makes one 750ml bottle of orgeat syrup)
- 250g almonds
- 400ml water
- 350g caster sugar
- 50ml brandy
- 25ml orange or rose flower water (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Add almonds to roasting tin, place in middle of oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Do not grease the tin or add any oil.
Remove almonds, and allow too cool. Once cooled, place the almonds in a bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and discard the water then use a blender or food processor to chop the almonds to a fine grind. If you need to assist the chopping process, add a little water to the food processor.
Transfer the crushed almonds to a large bowl and mix them with 400ml fresh water and let stand for two hours. Place a damp cloth, cheese cloth or muslin cloth over another bowl, and strain the almond and water mixture. Squeeze the cloth to extract all the liquid. Put the chopped almonds back into the almond water, let stand for another hour and then strain again. Repeat a third time if you wish. This will get all the oils out of the almonds.
Discard the almond pulp, then pour the strained liquid into a saucepan, add the sugar and simmer over a gentle heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat when the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then add the brandy and the orange flower or rose water. Once cooled, transfer the orgeat into a clean glass bottle and refrigerate.
Please note: Shake well before use as the syrup may separate.