Description
Homemade almond paste delivers rich, nutty flavor straight from Italian culinary traditions. Crafted with simple ingredients like ground almonds and powdered sugar, this versatile recipe creates a perfect base for pastries and desserts you’ll love.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons (500 grams) blanched, whole almonds
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (250 grams) sugar
- ¼ cup (75 grams) honey
Liquid Ingredients:
- Up to ¼ cup (about 50 grams) Kirsch or simple syrup
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (100 grams) water
Optional Ingredient:
- Scant ¼ cup (50 grams) butter
Instructions
- Prepare a medium saucepan and combine granulated sugar, golden honey, and cold water over medium-high heat, stirring consistently until the liquid reaches a rolling boil.
- Transfer whole raw almonds into a large food processor and pulse until they transform into a coarse, textured consistency.
- Carefully stream hot boiling water over the ground almonds, initiating a continuous blending process that will last approximately 10 minutes, periodically pausing to scrape down the processor’s interior walls to ensure uniform texture.
- Monitor the almond mixture’s consistency during blending; if the texture appears excessively dense or challenging to process, introduce small increments of hot water or kirsch liqueur to facilitate smoother integration and achieve a more malleable paste.
- Continue processing until the almond mixture develops a silky, uniform composition with no discernible chunky segments.
- Transfer the freshly created almond paste onto a clean plastic wrap surface, enveloping it completely to prevent moisture loss and allow natural cooling at room temperature.
- Once cooled to ambient temperature, refrigerate the wrapped almond paste for storage, maintaining its quality for 2-3 weeks or alternatively freeze for extended preservation up to three months.
- Prior to usage, optional technique involves gently kneading softened unsalted butter into the almond paste, which enhances smoothness and reduces potential stickiness, though this step remains discretionary.
Notes
- Grinding almonds transforms them into a creamy, versatile base for your homemade paste, releasing their rich, nutty oils during the blending process.
- Boiling sugar, honey, and water creates a syrupy liquid that binds the almond mixture, adding depth and natural sweetness to your recipe.
- Blending requires patience and occasional scraping to ensure a consistent, smooth texture that prevents lumpy or uneven almond paste.
- Adding hot water or kirsch helps manage the mixture’s thickness, allowing you to customize the paste’s final consistency with ease.
- Kneading butter into the cooled paste softens the texture, making it more pliable and less sticky for various culinary applications.
- Storing the almond paste in the refrigerator extends its shelf life, letting you enjoy your homemade creation for weeks or even months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Boiling, Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 155 kcal
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 15mg