Here’s a little secret: things like hazelnut and almond butter sound posh – the kind of thing you can only find at your upscale organic-only co-op. They’re not.

As long as you have access to a food processor (which if you spend even five minutes in the kitchen a day, you really have no excuse not to) nut butters are one of the simplest things you can make. The recipe goes something like this:

• Put nuts in food processor.
• Add some salt and oil.
• Process.

The kind of thing that can be made while you’re waiting for your French press to fully steep.

But why walnuts? They happen to have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut. They’re also an excellent source of omega 3s and protein. And it’s nice to talk up the health benefits of a recipe that actually tastes a little like cookie dough, which means there is a high likelihood that you will find yourself eating it by the spoonful. We take full responsibility.

Raw Walnut Butter with Honey and Sea Salt

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw walnuts
• 3 tablespoons oil (go all out an get walnut oil, or if you’re in a pinch a flavorless oil like safflower)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

Put all ingredients in a food processor and grind until smooth. Note that this butter has a thick consistency, more like cookie dough, so don’t expect it to be runny. This happens to make it really good for serving with pears or apples or spreading on super thick on a good slice of banana bread.