Almond Paste
Almond paste is a sweet, nutty confection made from ground almonds and sugar. It's subtly flavored with almond extract and rose water. This easy almond paste recipe uses water as a binder - no egg whites. While you can find it in many grocery stores, you can't beat the taste of fresh, homemade almond paste! Only 15 minutes of active time.
Servings 13 ounces (368 grams)
Ingredients
- 167 grams (1½ cups) almond flour finely ground
- 180 grams (1½ cups) powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract pure
- ½ teaspoon rose water culinary grade (optional)
- 1-2 Tablespoons water cold (start with smaller amount)
Instructions
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the almond flour and powdered sugar. If making in a mixer or by hand, sift almond flour and powdered sugar well.167 grams (1½ cups) almond flour, 180 grams (1½ cups) powdered sugar
- Pulse briefly until combined.
- Add almond extract, rose water, and 1 Tablespoon of water. Process until mixture comes together in a ball. If needed, add remaining water 1 teaspoon at a time to pull mixture together.1½ teaspoons almond extract, ½ teaspoon rose water, 1-2 Tablespoons water
- Dump almond paste out onto parchment paper. Knead 4-5 times.If almond paste is very sticky, sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar so your hands don't stick.
- Shape into a cylinder.
- Wrap with parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour*.*Chilling the almond paste helps it firm up and makes handling easier. If using the almond paste as a spread, you can skip the chilling step.
- Store well wrapped in an airtight container at room temperature 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, in the freezer up to 3 months. If frozen, defrost in refrigerator overnight prior to use.
Notes
- Using finely ground almond flour creates a smooth almond paste. It makes this recipe extra quick since you don't have to grind the nuts.
- Rose water is traditionally included in marzipan recipes. I love the added layer of flavor so I include it in my almond paste. You can omit it if you don't enjoy the floral notes it provides.
- This recipe produces a medium consistency almond paste, which is great for most of my baking needs, especially cake fillings.
- It's workable and pliable. It holds its shape when formed into a ball and is easy to roll out. It will not hold very detailed shapes.
- Chilling the almond paste helps it firm up and makes handling easier. If using the almond paste as a spread, you can skip the chilling step.
- I recommend using half of the almond paste (6.5 ounces) unless you need a LOT of marzipan.
- To 6.5 ounces almond paste, add ¼ cup corn syrup and 1 cup (4 ounces) sifted powdered sugar. Knead in an additional 1 cup sifted powdered sugar.
- This should create a firmer consistency marzipan that can be rolled to cover a cake.
- To make marzipan fruits, add additional powdered sugar as needed to achieve desired firmness.
- The added powdered sugar and corn syrup will significantly increase the sweetness. If you're using it for small bites or decorations, it shouldn't be an issue!