Almond Paste Recipe: How to Use and Store Almond Paste

Almond paste is a flavorful spread made from ground blanched almonds, sugar, and egg whites. The sweet paste appears in a variety of baked goods, whether folded into pastries and almond cakes as almond cream; breakfast fare like bear claws, almond croissants, and waffles; or enjoyed on its own as marzipan candy.

Thanks to the simplicity of the ingredients, it’s easy to make your own almond paste and adjust the flavorings to your preference.

Here are a few of the most common uses for almond paste:

1. 1. Amaretti: Amaretti cookies are gluten-free Italian almond cookies made from almond flour, egg whites, almond extract or liqueur, and sugar. There are many different variations on the traditional amaretti cookie recipe, depending on the base ingredients and additional flavorings (chocolate or liqueurs like almond-flavored amaretto).
2. 2. Frangipane: Frangipane (from the Italian “frangipani”) is a gluten-free almond custard used to make various pastries, cakes, and tarts in French baking. The almond paste-based sweet has a variety of uses: Add frangipane to the bottom layer of fruit tarts, use it as puff pastry or pie shell filling, in an Italian crostata, or Bakewell tarts, which pair the light notes of almond with fresh jam and sliced almonds.
3. 3. Marzipan: The most common use for almond paste is marzipan, a gluten-free confection used to make sweet treats like candies, icing sugar, fruit cakes, cupcakes, and fruit breads. Make your own marzipan or purchase it at the grocery store, where they sometimes sell it under the name “almond candy dough.”

Store wrapped almond paste in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to three months. Bring the paste to room temperature before use.

Almond paste and marzipan consist of finely ground almonds, powdered sugar, binding agents like egg whites, glucose syrup, corn syrup, and almond flavoring. There are a few key differences between almond paste and marzipan:

• Almond paste has a nuttier flavor: Almond paste has more of a deep nutty flavor than marzipan due to its higher almond content.
• Marzipan is sweeter: Finished marzipan contains more sugar and fewer almonds than almond paste. The higher sugar ratio allows for a smoother, thicker texture suitable for shaping into candies and rolling out for decorations.
• Almond paste is coarser: Marzipan has a pliable texture that bakers can mold into various shapes after kneading and chilling it. Conversely, almond paste has a coarser texture, ideal for making frangipane, a creamy tart filling, and Italian amaretti cookies.

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