Almond Paste

Today I am posting a recipe for almond paste. Tomorrow I will post the recipe for Stollen, the German Christmas Bread which uses the almond paste.

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds

1 2/3 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 cup egg whites

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Directions:

In a food processor, grind the almonds into a fine powder, approximately 2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar and blend well. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and with a wooden spoon blend in the egg whites until smooth. On a flat surface lightly dusted with confectioners sugar, roll out the almond paste into a 14" long x 1" round log. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.

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When rested, cut the log in two. On a smooth clean surface, roll out each piece to double its length, approximately 20 inches. Flatten each roll with your fingertips. Using a knife or a metal spatula, score the tops of the logs with crisscross marks. Coil each log and place on a serving plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. You can store in a closed container in the refrigerator for one week.