# Almond Paste



## pacanis

Someone brought me some almond paste from Turkey yesterday. Looking at the box they appear to be shaped like small discs. Can these be eaten as is?
I've done a little searching and it appears they are used a lot in baking or for making a paste to cover fish with   Which did not look appetizing.
I'm thinking because they appear to be shaped like a small cookie or candy, maybe they are eaten that way. Perhaps to nibble on when drinking coffee, but I am rather clueless about this item.


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## Andy M.

I only know it as an ingredient.  Marzipan is a confection that has almond paste as a base with other ingredients.  You probably should start your Christmas cookie baking with those almond paste disks.


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## Aunt Bea

For a simple almond paste cookie preheat you new toaster oven to 325 degrees.  

For every eight ounces of almond paste you will need one extra large egg white, 1/2 cup of sugar.  

You may also want to have on hand some slivered almonds, maraschino cherries or coarse granulated sugar for decoration.

Break almond paste into a mixing bowl and mix it, using an electric hand mixer, with the sugar until it breaks into small pieces, add the egg white and continue mixing for a couple of minutes until it is moist and sticky.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop rounded tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet a couple of inches apart.  Decorate with slivered almonds, 1/2 cherry or a sprinkle of sugar.  Bake for approx. 25 to 30 minutes.  When cool remove from parchment paper and store in an airtight container.  This yields about 18 small cookies.


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## Harry Cobean

suppose it depends on whether they are sweetened or not pac.if they are unsweetened i can easily see them being used in savoury dishes.i add whole/blanched almonds to my lamb tagine.if the paste is sweetened try prising the stones out of dates & replacing them with a sliver of the almond paste.deelish mate!!


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## pacanis

Shoot. I was hoping they could be eaten as is (assuming I like them).
Thanks for the replies and the recipe, Bea.


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## Cooking Goddess

What makes you say you can't eat them as-is?  They're your almond paste discs and it's your kitchen and cup of coffee.  Give it a try!  Truth be told, I'll sneak a couple of my Merken chocolate melting discs (I use them for the rare times I want to make homemade chocolate - but they keep evaporating  ) when I have a craving for chocolate and not a bit of candy in the house.


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## pacanis

Cooking Goddess said:


> *What makes you say you can't eat them as-is? *They're your almond paste discs and it's your kitchen and cup of coffee. Give it a try! Truth be told, I'll sneak a couple of my Merken chocolate melting discs (I use them for the rare times I want to make homemade chocolate - but they keep evaporating  ) when I have a craving for chocolate and not a bit of candy in the house.


 
Because I have read anywhere that I can.
I wasn't sure if they were like baker's chocolate or something, only to be used in something or it's nasty.
Just because it's food doesn't mean I'll stick it in my mouth


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## taxlady

pacanis said:


> Because I have read anywhere that I can.
> I wasn't sure if they were like baker's chocolate or something, only to be used in something or it's nasty.
> Just because it's food doesn't mean I'll stick it in my mouth


Taste a tiny bit and see if you like it. Then you will also know if there is sugar in it.


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## Andy M.

pacanis said:


> Shoot. I was hoping they could be eaten as is (assuming I like them).
> Thanks for the replies and the recipe, Bea.



I suppose you can eat it straight up.  Should be OK if you like almonds.


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## PrincessFiona60

um...read the ingredient list, it will tell you if there is sugar in it.  I love almod paste, but mine doesn't come in disks.


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## pacanis

PrincessFiona60 said:


> um...read the ingredient list, it will tell you if there is sugar in it. I love almod paste, but mine doesn't come in disks.


 
um... it's in Turkish 
I can't even tell if there's an ingredient list on the box. It might as well be in Farsi.
I ate one. I was not impressed. I don't think it's a nibble on food.


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## menumaker

Spot on Harry,
Now you're talking! Stuffed dates are one of the best 'petit fours' in the whole wide world and are my own Christmas gift to myself (in case no-one else gives me any!! ) but I see no reason why you cannot enjoy them on their own with coffee. Nibble one and see if the taste is pleasing on the tongue. If so, hide away and eat them yourself.............only joking!! You see boxes of them here in France, very often coloured pink, apricot,pistashio green and are sometimes taken as a gift when invited to dinner at a friends home.


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## PrincessFiona60

pacanis said:


> um... it's in Turkish
> I can't even tell if there's an ingredient list on the box. It might as well be in Farsi.
> I ate one. I was not impressed. I don't think it's a nibble on food.



Ah!  I didn't understand that!


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## pacanis

I may be giving Bea's cookie recipe a go when I'm feeling brave and courageous.


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## Andy M.

I bought some almond paste today for a pear tart I'm making.


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## pacanis

What are your thoughts about dropping a few discs into ice vanilla cream?


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## Harry Cobean

Andy M. said:


> I bought some almond paste today for a pear tart I'm making.


that is the best andy.thin crispy pastry,layer of almond paste,pears on top.baked until the pears are soft & the marzipan goes soft & gooey...deeeelish.....if we are talking about the same thing that is!!


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## taxlady

Harry Cobean said:


> that is the best andy.thin crispy pastry,layer of almond paste,pears on top.baked until the pears are soft & the marzipan goes soft & gooey...deeeelish.....if we are talking about the same thing that is!!


That does sound yummy.

The term "marzipan" refers to something that has a lot more sugar than Danish "marcipan". I think that what North Americans call almond paste is what a Dane, and maybe a Brit, would call marcipan/marzipan.


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## PrincessFiona60

What I call almond paste has far less sugar than marzipan.  I can make marzipan out of almond paste.  With almond butter I can make almond paste, with that I can make many different dishes.  Once I make marzipan, it does not change it's character.


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## Andy M.

Harry Cobean said:


> that is the best andy.thin crispy pastry,layer of almond paste,pears on top.baked until the pears are soft & the marzipan goes soft & gooey...deeeelish.....if we are talking about the same thing that is!!



That's pretty much all there is Harry.  I make a frangipane with the almond paste, butter, sugar and vanilla.  After baking, I'll brush an apricot glaze over the top.


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## PrincessFiona60

Andy M. said:


> That's pretty much all there is Harry.  I make a frangipane with the almond paste, butter, sugar and vanilla.  After baking, I'll brush an apricot glaze over the top.



That sounds fantastic...


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## Andy M.

PrincessFiona60 said:


> That sounds fantastic...



I'll let you know.


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## menumaker

We had an Apricot and frangipan tart last night for dessert.........it's all gone????????


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## Harry Cobean

Andy M. said:


> I'll let you know.





menumaker said:


> We had an Apricot and frangipan tart last night for dessert.........it's all gone????????


sooooo,'ow's about some piccies chaps.get a lot more peeps trying stuff for themselves if they see how good it looks,and even if it ain't a rembrandt...who cares!!i'm on a photo mission as you've probably gathered !!


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## Andy M.

Harry Cobean said:


> sooooo,'ow's about some piccies chaps.get a lot more peeps trying stuff for themselves if they see how good it looks,and even if it ain't a rembrandt...who cares!!i'm on a photo mission as you've probably gathered !!



See here young man: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f104/what-are-you-baking-today-2013-a-87388-20.html#post1313864


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## pacanis

Andy M. said:


> See here young man: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f104/what-are-you-baking-today-2013-a-87388-20.html#post1313864


 
Wow! 
That looks delicious, Andy.
Do they ship well?


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## Andy M.

pacanis said:


> Wow!
> That looks delicious, Andy.
> Do they ship well?



Sadly, no.  Besides I consider sharing vastly overrated.


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## pacanis

Andy M. said:


> Sadly, no. Besides I consider sharing vastly overrated.


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## Harry Cobean

Andy M. said:


> See here young man: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f104/what-are-you-baking-today-2013-a-87388-20.html#post1313864


bloody hell andy that looks,and i'm sure tastes,sublime...as good if not better than any french patisserie i've seen....and those chaps know how to bake a tart....respect!!
i haven't looked yet,but if you haven't already,any chance of posting the pics on food photo's please mate?


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## Andy M.

Harry Cobean said:


> ...any chance of posting the pics on food photo's please mate?




Harry, you're my inspiration for posting the tart photos. 

I think it makes more sense to post this type of photo post in their appropriate forums so they are easier to find.  If someone is looking for a baked goods recipe, they don't have to wade through dozens of dinner photos in hopes of finding one.


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## Harry Cobean

Andy M. said:


> Harry, you're my inspiration for posting the tart photos.
> 
> I think it makes more sense to post this type of photo post in their appropriate forums so they are easier to find.  If someone is looking for a baked goods recipe, they don't have to wade through dozens of dinner photos in hopes of finding one.


thanks andy,appreciate that,really
i was just thinking food photo's because i can't bake,harry & flour don't get along at all,never have,probably never will,so i never look in that thread.whereas i always look in food photo's to see what's new.just a thought mate


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## pacanis

That's about as well as flour and I get along, too, Harry. Unless it's going into gravy of course.


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## Harry Cobean

pacanis said:


> That's about as well as flour and I get along, too, Harry. Unless it's going into gravy of course.


or on a nice fillet of fish for frying


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## pacanis

That, too!


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## taxlady

So make the tart with a pre-made crust.


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## Harry Cobean

taxlady said:


> So make the tart with a pre-made crust.


ha! good thinking tax!!


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## Andy M.

taxlady said:


> So make the tart with a pre-made crust.



I don't think a pre-made crust cooks better/faster than homemade.


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## Harry Cobean

Andy M. said:


> I don't think a pre-made crust cooks better/faster than homemade.


it does if,like me,you can't make one andy!!


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## Andy M.

Harry Cobean said:


> it does if,like me,you can't make one andy!!



Harry, the thought of making a pastry crust is daunting.  The actual effort required is not.  I just toss a bunch of stuff into a food processor and turn it on.


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## taxlady

Andy M. said:


> I don't think a pre-made crust cooks better/faster than homemade.


I didn't mean you. I meant those two who think they are pastry impaired. I certainly prefer using homemade.


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## Andy M.

taxlady said:


> I didn't mean you. I meant those two who think they are pastry impaired. I certainly prefer using homemade.



Oh, OK.  I've used pre-made pastry.  It's OK when you're feeling lazy.


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## Harry Cobean

Andy M. said:


> Harry, the thought of making a pastry crust is daunting.  The actual effort required is not.  I just toss a bunch of stuff into a food processor and turn it on.


not the effort mate,it just doesn't seem to work for me.i'll give it one last chance & let you know!!


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## Harry Cobean

taxlady said:


> I didn't mean you. I meant those two who think they are pastry impaired. I certainly prefer using homemade.





Andy M. said:


> Oh, OK.  I've used pre-made pastry.  It's OK when you're feeling lazy.


now there's a thought...ready made pastry.seen all sorts in the chilled section in tesco.most of the tv chefs over here say the good brands are that good that it isn't worth making your own for everyday dishes.sorted!!


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