Hazelnut Milk and Oatmeal Muffins

I have made my own almond milk for years. I like it in cereal and baking, but it is pretty thin so it does not suffice for coffee. Recently, however, I discovered this recipe for cashew milk. It is delicious and creamy. I omit the agave and reduce the oats to 2 tablespoons (otherwise it will thicken in hot beverages, as I learned the hard way). It is the best milk substitute I have found to drink with espresso.

But, I thought I could improve it even more.

I like hazelnut syrup in coffees, why not just make hazelnut milk?

So, I did.

I soaked 1.5 cups roasted (skins removed) hazelnuts in water over night. The next day, I powdered 2 tablespoons of oats in the blender, dumped in the hazelnuts, a tablespoon of maple syrup and three cups of water. I then liquified the mixture for 3-4 minutes and strained through cheese cloth (x 2).

It was delicious.

And a bit grainy.

I was not able to achieve the smooth and creamy texture of the cashew milk. So, it's a no-go for coffee. But, it is delicious in cereal and I used both the milk and the remaining hazelnut grounds/puree to make Oatmeal Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Muffins. I used this recipe and replaced the cow's milk with hazelnut milk and the pecans with the hazelnut mash without any further modifications.

Perfection!