I used to think I didn’t like lots of almondy things because I thought they had marzipan in them, and I never really liked marzipan. It’s eerily smooth, and cloyingly sweet (sorry marzipan fans - all the more marzipan for you). Those little marzipan fruits are incredibly charming and tempting, but I learned my lesson after sampling one or two and avoided them. But I also avoided things like almond croissants and danishes, thinking they would contain the same smooth and overly sweet paste. I was delighted to later learn that almond paste is not the same as marzipan - mostly it has less sugar in it. Also, almond paste isn’t quite as smooth and moldable as marzipan, which is a little clay-like. Almond paste is slightly coarser, the almonds remain finely ground, rather than fully smooth, so they have a slightly nubbly texture. Take care when processing to not go too far and grind the almonds into nut butter. This will release too much oil and produce a runny texture that will not hold it’s shape, not the semi-firm paste you are aiming for.

Stay tuned for a recipe to use your almond paste - coming this weekend! You can also use store bought almond paste for any recipes you are planning on making. It should be in well stocked supermarkets or European specialty grocers. I couldn’t find any at the store and it’s only about 5 minutes to make from scratch.

almond paste

1 ½ cups blanched almonds
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1-2 egg whites
¼ -½ tsp almond extract (optional)

Process the almonds and sugar in a food processor until the nuts are finely and evenly ground. Be careful not to process them longer than necessary to avoid getting to the nut butter stage.

Add egg white and almond extract, if using. Process until a rough paste forms.

Wrap the paste in cling wrap, forming a tight log. This keeps in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer (double wrapped) for ages.