Homemade almond paste has a unique taste with a distinct almond flavor. There are mainly two sorts of almond paste: the cooked one (recipe below) and commonly known as “marzipan” and the raw one made with egg whites. The latter is mainly used to prepare moist cakes like “pain de Gênes” for instance. The cooked one is used to prepare chocolate candies or to fill dates… I like to use it in my croissants for instance.
Equipment
- Scale
- Saucepan
- Food processor with S-blade
Ingredients
- 40 g Honey Acacia honey if possible
- 20 g Glucose
- 90 g Mineral water
- 180 g Sugar
- 375 g Almond powder*
Instructions
- This step is optional: roast the almond powder for 10 minutes at 140°C.
- Let it cool for 15 mintes and place it in the food processor equipped with the S-blade.
- Place the honey, glucose and water in the saucepan
- Add the sugar and bring to boil. The temperature should be ideally around 103°C.
- Pour the boiling mixture on the almond powder and mix.
- Stop mixing when the temperature is around 70°C. The almond paste should hold itself and not too soft.
- Transfer into an airtight container and let it cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator.
Notes
Additional comments
You can use grounded peeled almonds or whole ones with the skin, or a mix of both (like on the pictures above). The skin brings out the almond taste. You can also add some drops of natural almond extract, or orange blossom, or rose, or citrus zests…
Once properly cooled, place the almond paste in an airtight container, cover the surface with a cling wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Bon appétit!