Almond Paste

There’s nothing like homemade.  Period.  And homemade almond paste is no exception.  It tastes so fresh and not processed.  Your baked goods will taste much better, too.  Not to mention that store-bought almond paste is quite expensive, especially for such a little tube (usually 7 oz.).  That said, I sought out to make my own almond paste.  This recipe yields approximately one pound (450g) of almond paste – more than double what you would buy in a single tube!  After trying several different recipes, I love the consistency and taste of this one.  I give credit to Deborah Madison on recipelink.com for the basis of this recipe.  I made just a few modifications.  I hope you enjoy!

First, soak the almonds in water to loosen the skin.

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Second, peel almonds by pinching off the skins.  They should slip off easily.  If they don’t, then let them soak for a few more minutes.

Let the skinned almonds semi dry on paper towels. 

For this next step, you’ll need the candy thermometer.  In a small pot, combine sugar, water and corn syrup.  Once syrup mixture reaches 235°F (113°C), stir in vanilla extract.

While syrup is cooking, preheat oven to 250°F (121°C), dry almonds in oven until slightly toasted.

In food processor, grind almonds to a fine texture.

Almond Paste

 

Author:

Cherie Snellen

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Ingredients

• 2 cups (240g) whole almonds
• 1 cup (200g) white sugar
• ½ cup (120ml) water
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Water for boiling almonds (approximately 1½ cups) (350ml)

Instructions

1. Remove pot from heat, add almonds to boiling water. Let stand for approximately 5 minutes. Lay out some paper towels for skinned almonds. To skin, using your thumb and forefinger, pinch one end. The almond should pop right out of the skin. If it’s stubborn, just submerge in water again for another minute or two. Place the peeled almond on the paper towels to semi dry and repeat until all almonds are skinned.
2. In a small pot, combine sugar, water and corn syrup and cook without stirring until temperature reaches 235℉ (113℃). Stir in almond extract.
3. While syrup is cooking, preheat oven to 250℉ (121℃). On a cookie sheet, spread skinned almonds in a single layer and place in oven for approximately 7-10 minutes – just long enough to completely dry and start to get slightly toasty. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, approximately 5 minutes.
4. While still warm, grind in food processor until there’s a fine texture. If you’re unable to get that “fine” texture, try adding 1 tablespoon of water.
5. Once this texture is achieved, add syrup in a gradual, steady stream. Keep processing until the paste is formed.
6. Store in a sealed, glass container or wrap it well in plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated.
7. Left over almond paste can be stored for one month in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. When ready to use again, just let it come to room temperature before using, or warm in double boiler to make it even more pliable.

Notes

Special Equipment needed
candy thermometer (very important!)
food processor

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