Homemade Orgeat Syrup

• 1 1/10 pounds blanched or toasted blanched almonds
• 1 1/2 pounds sugar (1/2 demerara, 1/2 white)
• 1 tablespoon orange-flower water
• 2 teaspoons almond extract

1. Combine almonds with 11 ounces of water in a blender and blend briefly until uniformly but roughly chopped.
2. Pour into a nonreactive bowl and add one liter of boiling water.
3. Stir well and let stand for three hours.
4. Line a sieve or chinois with overlapping layers of fine cheesecloth, arranging them in an X pattern and leaving a fair amount trailing over to grab hold of.
5. Pour in the mixture and allow it to filter through, assisting with a wooden spoon if necessary.
6. Fold up the ends of the cheesecloth carefully to trap the pulp in a bag and squeeze out the remaining liquid.
7. (This is important, as the pulp retains a fair amount of emulsion.)
8. Discard cheesecloth and pulp.
9. Place emulsion mixture in a pan, add sugar and heat mildly through (140 degrees or less), stirring until sugar is fully dissolved.
10. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
11. Add orange-flower water and almond extract and funnel into a clean, capped bottle to refrigerate.
12. Optionally you may add 2 or 3 ounces of vodka to the syrup, as a preservative.

blanched, sugar, orangeflower water, almond

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015317 (may not work)