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:

If blanched almonds are not available, it is not difficult to blanch your own.  The most important point to remember is boil 60 seconds or 1 minute.  A longer time softens the almonds and they loose flavor.   Bring a pan of water to a boil.  Add the almonds and boil for 60 seconds or 1 minute, no longer.   Pour through a colander and quickly rinse with cold water.  Lay on paper towels and blot to remove excess.  Pinch between your fingers to remove the shriveled skin.  Discard the skins.  Allow the almonds to briefly dry throughly before grinding them to avoid a thick mass instead of ground particles.  Moist almonds are very subject to mold when stored.  Give them time to dry.

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.