Shopping list
500g white almonds
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
500g caster sugar
1 - 2 free-range organic eggs
If you like almond paste, there is nothing better than homemade. Of course you can bake something yourself and then buy ready-made 'almond paste' in the supermarket. But that is not even remotely close to homemade. The funny thing is that it's ready in no time and you don't need a lot of ingredients for it. A food processor, yes, that you need! We use Cees Holtkamp's great recipe.
How to make fresh almond paste
Preparation
Ground the almonds.
Grate the lemon skin.
Beat the eggs.
Add sugar and zest to the ground almonds.
Add a little egg and ground until you have a coarse mixture.
Keep adding egg gradually, but maybe you do not need it all.
Check regularly if the almond paste sticks together.
Transfer it to a large bowl.
Knead it briefly together by hand.
When te consistency is right shape the paste into cylinders.
Wrap the cylinders in cling film.
Place the almondpaste in a clean bowl and store it in the refrigerator.
Let the almond paste rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 days, so that the flavours can interact well. Tomorrow the recipe for a Dutch Speculaastaart filled with almond paste!
Tip! Almond paste can be stored very well in the freezer.