Sunbutter

I was (am) getting tired of almond butter so searched and found this recipe from the website www.mmmmpaleo.com  

(here is the link to the recipe) http://www.mmmmpaleo.com/2012/04/sunbutter.html 

The pic below is from the mmmmpaleo site.......I took pics of mine using my Blackberry but was not smart enough to figure out how to get them from my phone to here. :)

This made a nice, full mason jar full of sunbutter which to my pleasant surprise was oh, so very good!!! perfect amount of salt and sweet!!  I used this on pancakes, celery and ate it straight from the jar! 

Ingredients 

• 1 16oz bag raw sunflower seeds (do not get the ones that are already roasted as they will not have enough moisture and result in a mealy sunbutter)
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp palm sugar (or other sweetener of your choice)  I didn't use this
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper - I toasted mine in a pan, in batches, onthe stove if you can't use your oven or if you are like me and tend to forget what you put in the oven.

2. If using the oven, checking the level of "toastiness" every few minutes. The seeds should be LIGHTLY toasted, not brown. If your pan wasn't big enough to create a single layer of seeds, be sure to mix them up partway through cooking so the seeds on the top don't cook faster than those on the bottom. Mix as often as necessary until they look uniformly toasted. 

3. Combine the toasted sunflower seeds in a blender with the sea salt and palm sugar. If you have a high power blender like a VitaMix that comes with a tamper (looks like a plunger) then process on highest variable speed and use the plunger to push the mixture down into the blades. If you do not have a tamper, you may have to stop the blender periodically to push the mixture down with a wood spoon or spatula. You could also use a food processor on high, but this may take a bit longer. At first, the mixture may look mealy, but keep chugging along and processing it until it begins to look creamier and get a light sheen. Sunflower seeds release their own oils over time - so have patience! You could be processing the mixture up to 10 minutes straight. At about the 5 minute mark, it should definitely start looking creamy, though. At this point, you could add in your teaspoon of honey. 

4. Once the mixture gets fairly creamy, add in your olive oil one teaspoon at a time, processing in between. You can lower the speed of your blender just enough so that it will blend the oil in without need to be pushed towards the blades. The result should be a nice creamy sunbutter.

5. Your mixture may be hot, so spoon it into a mason jar and let it cool off to the side. Once cooled, seal tightly and store in the refrigerator. The mixture may separate if left in the fridge for too long, so if that happens, just give it a good stir before serving.