Almonds to almond paste
December 19, 2020 8:21 AM Subscribe
I have whole, blanched, unsalted almonds in my baking stash. A new cookie recipe I want to try calls for almond paste (not marzipan). Can I turn my almonds into paste?
As I understand it, almond paste calls for equal parts almonds and sugar. If I put almonds and sugar into a food processor or blender I should be able to make my own paste, correct? Am I missing anything? Any tips anybody wants to share about making almond paste?
As I understand it, almond paste calls for equal parts almonds and sugar. If I put almonds and sugar into a food processor or blender I should be able to make my own paste, correct? Am I missing anything? Any tips anybody wants to share about making almond paste?
Best answer: Yes, you can definitely make this at home if you have a good food processor. If you can make decent nut butters in yours, you can do this. An important note is that you need equal amounts of almonds and *powdered* sugar. This is important.
Put your almonds in a food processor along with 1/3 of the sugar and process until the almonds are finely ground. Pause every now and then to scrape the bowl. Do not process it into almond butter. You want very fine grounds only.
Then add the rest of the sugar and pulse until its mixed in.
Now the key part! Add in a lightly beaten egg white and process until its a clump. If it's too sticky, add a bit of powdered sugar. Turn it out and roll it into a log. Leftovers go in the fridge.
posted by ananci at 8:42 AM on December 19, 2020 [6 favorites]
Put your almonds in a food processor along with 1/3 of the sugar and process until the almonds are finely ground. Pause every now and then to scrape the bowl. Do not process it into almond butter. You want very fine grounds only.
Then add the rest of the sugar and pulse until its mixed in.
Now the key part! Add in a lightly beaten egg white and process until its a clump. If it's too sticky, add a bit of powdered sugar. Turn it out and roll it into a log. Leftovers go in the fridge.
posted by ananci at 8:42 AM on December 19, 2020 [6 favorites]
I've done this several times before with a food processor, and it works great. It's a lot cheaper than buying almond paste which is like 8 bucks a tube. You can get a decent amount, too. I froze the extra paste for future recipes.
I don't have a recipe to share right now, but a key part I remember is you have to soak the almonds and then pinch off the skins. It can take 10 minutes or so.
posted by Leontine at 8:53 AM on December 19, 2020
I don't have a recipe to share right now, but a key part I remember is you have to soak the almonds and then pinch off the skins. It can take 10 minutes or so.
posted by Leontine at 8:53 AM on December 19, 2020
Response by poster: ananci,
That's exactly the answer I needed. It gave me enough information to be able to look up a recipe. The last time I tried, I got recipes calling for almond paste, not recipes for making it.
After looking at a handful of them, here is the one I'm going to use as a reference. It sounds like what you told me to do with the addition of a bit of almond extract (which is a staple in my cupboard).
I'll report back with the results. I'll also take your caution EllaEm, to ensure that I get the nuts ground finely enough. I'm used to baking with nuts and grinding them, so I've got a pretty good idea of what they need to look like. And Leontine, you're absolutely right, paste is expensive, which is partly why I wanted to make my own. The other reason is that I like knowing exactly what's going into my baking, and this seems like a pretty simple way of doing that. Thanks everybody for your answers.
posted by sardonyx at 10:31 AM on December 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
That's exactly the answer I needed. It gave me enough information to be able to look up a recipe. The last time I tried, I got recipes calling for almond paste, not recipes for making it.
After looking at a handful of them, here is the one I'm going to use as a reference. It sounds like what you told me to do with the addition of a bit of almond extract (which is a staple in my cupboard).
I'll report back with the results. I'll also take your caution EllaEm, to ensure that I get the nuts ground finely enough. I'm used to baking with nuts and grinding them, so I've got a pretty good idea of what they need to look like. And Leontine, you're absolutely right, paste is expensive, which is partly why I wanted to make my own. The other reason is that I like knowing exactly what's going into my baking, and this seems like a pretty simple way of doing that. Thanks everybody for your answers.
posted by sardonyx at 10:31 AM on December 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
By the way, my blender will make powdered sugar from granulated. Put in nothing but sugar, and it wants to be bone dry. Blitz until you have what you want. So if you only have granulated you can use it if you process it down by itself first.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:48 PM on December 19, 2020
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:48 PM on December 19, 2020
Response by poster: Okay, here's my report (as promised).
Making the almond paste was easy. I think it went really well. I'd do it again if a recipe called for paste. I also only made as much as I needed for the recipe.
I've never baked with paste before, so I didn't know what to expect. I still don't. I don't know if it was the recipe or the nature of paste cookies, but I find the texture of the cookies I made a bit on the hard side. Still, they're pretty fresh out of the oven, so I'll re-evaluate after they've had an opportunity to sit overnight.
I made these. They're almond spritz cookies from the CIA cookbook Mastering the Art and Craft of Baking and Pastry.
Since that book is geared towards restaurant baking, the recipes are huge. I cut this one in half before I started because I didn't know if the cookies would be any good, and I didn't want to wind up with 200 terrible cookies (as that's a waste of time and ingredients). I know some recipes can't be cut, but I figured a cookie recipe should be pretty safe.
Along with my concerns about texture, I find that flavours very muted. I'd use the original amounts (or more) of rum and vanilla and not cut those measurements in half, and I'd add more almond extract to the paste if I decide to make them again.
posted by sardonyx at 2:46 PM on December 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
Making the almond paste was easy. I think it went really well. I'd do it again if a recipe called for paste. I also only made as much as I needed for the recipe.
I've never baked with paste before, so I didn't know what to expect. I still don't. I don't know if it was the recipe or the nature of paste cookies, but I find the texture of the cookies I made a bit on the hard side. Still, they're pretty fresh out of the oven, so I'll re-evaluate after they've had an opportunity to sit overnight.
I made these. They're almond spritz cookies from the CIA cookbook Mastering the Art and Craft of Baking and Pastry.
Since that book is geared towards restaurant baking, the recipes are huge. I cut this one in half before I started because I didn't know if the cookies would be any good, and I didn't want to wind up with 200 terrible cookies (as that's a waste of time and ingredients). I know some recipes can't be cut, but I figured a cookie recipe should be pretty safe.
Along with my concerns about texture, I find that flavours very muted. I'd use the original amounts (or more) of rum and vanilla and not cut those measurements in half, and I'd add more almond extract to the paste if I decide to make them again.
posted by sardonyx at 2:46 PM on December 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Oh, and thanks for the tip about icing sugar, How much is that froggie in the window, but that's another staple I tend to keep stocked in my baking pantry.
posted by sardonyx at 2:47 PM on December 19, 2020
posted by sardonyx at 2:47 PM on December 19, 2020
Oh! Yeah, spritz cookies are finicky af. My two best tips are to cream the butter and sugar really really well, until it's super fluffy and almost white, and to mix the flour in by hand very gently and stop as soon as it's all moistened. You can add a touch of milk of it's still too hard.
I always bake a test batch of 4 cookies and adjust the dough with milk or refrigeration as needed. Also I do go pretty intense with the almond extract in these cookies but not everyone is keen on it :)
posted by ananci at 3:07 PM on December 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
I always bake a test batch of 4 cookies and adjust the dough with milk or refrigeration as needed. Also I do go pretty intense with the almond extract in these cookies but not everyone is keen on it :)
posted by ananci at 3:07 PM on December 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Milk. The recipe didn't call for any, but I can imagine that might make a different.
It's funny, because the dough was so very, very soft and so full of flavor. (Actually, I liked the taste of the dough better than the final cookies.) As you can see the piping lines that started out as very definite ended up very blurred and soft. I don't know why they went so hard in the baking process.
My butter, sugar, almond paste combo was pretty much white. And I sifted the flour and mixed it by hand very gently. So it sounds like many it could benefit from a bit of milk.
Would you care to share your recipe, ananci? I'd be curious to compare it to the one I tried.
posted by sardonyx at 3:29 PM on December 19, 2020
It's funny, because the dough was so very, very soft and so full of flavor. (Actually, I liked the taste of the dough better than the final cookies.) As you can see the piping lines that started out as very definite ended up very blurred and soft. I don't know why they went so hard in the baking process.
My butter, sugar, almond paste combo was pretty much white. And I sifted the flour and mixed it by hand very gently. So it sounds like many it could benefit from a bit of milk.
Would you care to share your recipe, ananci? I'd be curious to compare it to the one I tried.
posted by sardonyx at 3:29 PM on December 19, 2020
Best answer: Sure! I use a cookie press (I think you did too?) but a piping bag also works.
6 oz almond paste
2 eggs (cold)
1 c powdered sugar
2 tsp almond extract
2 sticks butter (softened but still cool)
1 c all-purpose flour
2 c cake flour
In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer, break up and soften the almond paste with the sugar on low speed. Then add the butter and beat on high for 3 minutes. Add an egg and the almond extract and beat another 5 min. Add the second egg and beat another 5 minutes. Don't rush this part. When you're done it should be really light and fluffy and a bit runny.
Place the entire bowl with whisk into the fridge to chill for 30 mins (take out to whip every 10mins).
Now use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour. Work the dough as little as possible. The goal here is to keep all that air in from the fluffy almond paste mixture and minimize the gluten development. Take a pinch and put it in the cookie press, and see if it forms nicely. Add a little milk if it's too stiff and crumbly. Pop in the fridge if it's too soft.
Bake a test batch of 4 (or however many hovering family members you have) at 325 for 15 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Keep the dough in the fridge during the baking. Once you've determined if you're satisfied, let the dough warm up a bit if needed and press and bake the rest of the cookies. Too hard? More milk. Blobbed out in the oven? Add in a couple extra tbsp of cake flour.
It's definitely a process, but worth it! Let me know how it goes :)
posted by ananci at 5:49 PM on December 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
6 oz almond paste
2 eggs (cold)
1 c powdered sugar
2 tsp almond extract
2 sticks butter (softened but still cool)
1 c all-purpose flour
2 c cake flour
In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer, break up and soften the almond paste with the sugar on low speed. Then add the butter and beat on high for 3 minutes. Add an egg and the almond extract and beat another 5 min. Add the second egg and beat another 5 minutes. Don't rush this part. When you're done it should be really light and fluffy and a bit runny.
Place the entire bowl with whisk into the fridge to chill for 30 mins (take out to whip every 10mins).
Now use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour. Work the dough as little as possible. The goal here is to keep all that air in from the fluffy almond paste mixture and minimize the gluten development. Take a pinch and put it in the cookie press, and see if it forms nicely. Add a little milk if it's too stiff and crumbly. Pop in the fridge if it's too soft.
Bake a test batch of 4 (or however many hovering family members you have) at 325 for 15 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Keep the dough in the fridge during the baking. Once you've determined if you're satisfied, let the dough warm up a bit if needed and press and bake the rest of the cookies. Too hard? More milk. Blobbed out in the oven? Add in a couple extra tbsp of cake flour.
It's definitely a process, but worth it! Let me know how it goes :)
posted by ananci at 5:49 PM on December 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
Almost any almond pastry can be made more interesting by adding a bit of Amaretto liqueur.
You might like panallets, a traditional Catalan pastry. It's an easy recipe that's fun to make with kids.
I couldn't find the perfect recipe in English, but this one is pretty close to the real thing. Some tips:
When they say "crushed almonds", they mean almonds ground to a fine powder.
Boil the potato instead of baking it.
Roll the dough out into a log and cut sections before making them into balls.
For pine nut panallets, paint them with egg yolk before baking.
For coconut panallets, don't put the coconut into the dough. Instead, use the same basic dough, roll them in egg whites and then in the powdered coconut, and form them into a small pyramid shape. They're done when the point of the pyramid is toasted.
When they say 150 degrees, that's Celsius. I bake them at 350 Fahrenheit for 12 minutes or so. Don't overcook, they should be soft inside. Painting with egg yolk helps them brown faster.
You don't need to refrigerate the dough before baking, but it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. The cooked panallets will keep in a closed container for a week.
posted by fuzz at 1:48 AM on December 20, 2020
You might like panallets, a traditional Catalan pastry. It's an easy recipe that's fun to make with kids.
I couldn't find the perfect recipe in English, but this one is pretty close to the real thing. Some tips:
When they say "crushed almonds", they mean almonds ground to a fine powder.
Boil the potato instead of baking it.
Roll the dough out into a log and cut sections before making them into balls.
For pine nut panallets, paint them with egg yolk before baking.
For coconut panallets, don't put the coconut into the dough. Instead, use the same basic dough, roll them in egg whites and then in the powdered coconut, and form them into a small pyramid shape. They're done when the point of the pyramid is toasted.
When they say 150 degrees, that's Celsius. I bake them at 350 Fahrenheit for 12 minutes or so. Don't overcook, they should be soft inside. Painting with egg yolk helps them brown faster.
You don't need to refrigerate the dough before baking, but it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. The cooked panallets will keep in a closed container for a week.
posted by fuzz at 1:48 AM on December 20, 2020
If you want to try a super delicious recipe w almond paste, I highly recommend smittenkitchen 7 layer cookies (rainbow cookies). Utterly delicious! I used 2 different jams and semisweet chocolate.
posted by bookworm4125 at 7:03 AM on December 20, 2020
posted by bookworm4125 at 7:03 AM on December 20, 2020
Response by poster: Thanks, ananci.
That looks like a good, solid, reliable recipe. And your instructions on how to improve it should really help. I'll have to try it next year.
If anybody is curious, here's the one I used. The cookies softened up a bit over night and developed some more flavour, although I'd still go with more run, vanilla and almond extract. As I said, I cut the recipe in half and I still got about 100 cookies. And I did pipe them.
posted by sardonyx at 10:35 AM on December 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
That looks like a good, solid, reliable recipe. And your instructions on how to improve it should really help. I'll have to try it next year.
If anybody is curious, here's the one I used. The cookies softened up a bit over night and developed some more flavour, although I'd still go with more run, vanilla and almond extract. As I said, I cut the recipe in half and I still got about 100 cookies. And I did pipe them.
posted by sardonyx at 10:35 AM on December 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: fuzz and bookworm4125, thanks. I'll have to add those to my list of recipes to try. At this point, I'm at around 500 cookies (give or take, I lost count somehow this year), so I don't think I'll be making any more before Christmas (although I do still have a nut roll and a cheese roll to bake).
posted by sardonyx at 10:38 AM on December 20, 2020
posted by sardonyx at 10:38 AM on December 20, 2020
Response by poster: There might be a link/display problem with that previous recipe link. This should (fingers crossed) work.
posted by sardonyx at 3:28 PM on December 20, 2020
posted by sardonyx at 3:28 PM on December 20, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by EllaEm at 8:40 AM on December 19, 2020