Easy Almond Paste Recipe

There are countless ways to improve your baked goods, from using high-quality ingredients and elaborate techniques to making everything from scratch. Preparing your own almond paste is a great example, as it can be used to make a number of treats like cookies, cakes, and tarts. Unlike its famous cousin marzipan, the paste has a higher almond content whereas the former contains more sugar. While you can buy a ready-made roll at the store, making your own will instantly elevate any recipe you choose to add it to. 

Mashed recipe developer Christina Musgrave comments, "This recipe is a simple and cheap alternative to buying store-bought almond paste." You just need five basic ingredients and 10 minutes to make it yourself. It keeps well for a few months in the freezer, so whip up a batch to incorporate into future baking recipes. We're thinking almond croissants and a frangipane tart filled with fresh fruit!

For this recipe, you'll only need almond flour, powdered sugar, one egg white, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. 

Plug in your food processor and add the almond flour and powdered sugar to the bowl. Pulse the ingredients until they are properly mixed. 

Next, add the egg white, almond extract, and a pinch of salt to the food processor. Pulse the contents until a paste begins to form. 

Transfer the paste to a flat surface and roll it into a log. Then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it until you are ready to use it in a recipe. Musgrave suggests: "Store [it] in the refrigerator up to 1 week or freezer for 3 months." 

You're welcome to taste test the result, but Musgrave points out that "It's not served on its own but used in other baking recipes," such as those that require almond pastry. Compared with marzipan, almond paste is typically used as a filling. However, marzipan fans can transform the paste into cute creatures by adding more sugar and food coloring.

If you're feeling experimental, try your hand at homemade almond croissants, or layer the paste over a tart shell and top it with your favorite fruit. Almond paste can also be used to make amaretti, chewy Italian cookies with a sweet and nutty flavor.