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Almond milkshakes are very popular in Morocco, particularly during Ramadan when we're likely to serve them when breaking the fast. A tiny bit of orange flower water gives this almond shake its classic taste. I like it best served icy cold.
The recipe calls for whole blanched almonds or almond flour. If you only have whole raw almonds on hand, plan to blanch and peel the almonds ahead of time. This is actually a good thing, as the fresher the blanched almonds, the more flavor they will impart to the almond milkshake.
Blanching and Peeling Almonds
Blanching and peeling almonds is easy and won't take long for the small quantity needed for the almond shake. You do this by dropping the almonds in boiling water for a minute or two, draining, then pinching the hot almonds between your thumb and first two fingers to squeeze the skins off.
That's it! The peeled almonds are ready to use in the almond shake. If they're not needed right away, be sure to allow them to dry thoroughly before covering and storing in the fridge.
Making the Almond Milkshake
The actual blending of the almond milkshake takes just a few minutes and is best done just prior to serving. That's because the ground almonds will eventually settle in the bottom of the glass. If that happens, simply stir with a spoon at the table or process again quickly in the blender.
I'm including almond extract or flavoring as an optional ingredient. I don't use it myself as Morocco's indigenous almonds have lots of flavor, but if you feel your blended shake is missing a little something, a tiny drop or two of extract will probably give the almond milkshake the lift it needs.
I have seen recipes for Moroccan almond milkshakes that call for a tiny bit of crushed mastic. It's not something I'm inclined to include myself but you might want to try it.
