Creamy Vanilla Almond Milk

To Make Vanilla Almond Milk Only:

1. Place almonds in a bowl and add enough water to cover by at least one inch.  Soak 6-8 hours, or overnight.
2. Remove skins from almonds by gently pinching one end.  The soaked almond will slip right out of the skin.
3. Place skinned almonds, 3 cups of water, and dates into a blender and mix on High speed until smooth (about 1 minute in a Vitamix, 3-4 minutes in a regular blender.)***
4. Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and line the strainer with a double-layer of cheesecloth (or use a milk bag).  Pour almond mixture into the cheesecloth, and stir gently to help the liquid strain through.   When the mixture starts to thicken, gather cheesecloth tightly around the almond mixture and squeeze the milk through the strainer and into the bowl.
5. Refrigerate milk until well-chilled.  Mixture may separate; shake to combine and serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon, if desired.

To Make Vanilla Almond Milk and Unsweetened Almond Flour:

1. At step 3 above, blend only the soaked, skinned almonds and 3 cups water until smooth.  Strain as directed (Step 4).
2. Return strained milk to cleaned blender container and add dates and vanilla, blending on High until smooth.  Re-strain through a fine mesh sieve (no cheesecloth required) and chill as directed.
3. To make almond flour: Spread almond pulp in a thin layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 150 degrees F, stirring occasionally, for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, until dry. Cool and pulse in a food processor until finely-ground. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks, or the freezer for up to 3 months.