The perfect Christmas Stollen filling!
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Almond paste, used in Holland in Christmas and Easter stollen and speculaas, is deliciously easy to prepare.
The paste can be made well in advance because it keeps for a long time in the fridge or freezer. We recommend storing it in the fridge for up to one month and in the freezer for three months (provided you have not yet enriched the paste with egg). Make sure no air can get to the paste. We find the ‘sweet spot’ for the use of this paste is after one to two weeks.
Ingredients for the Almond Paste
250 g white unsalted almonds
250 g fine sugar
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
little bit of water (around 50 g/50 ml, 3 to 4 tbsps)
Making the Almond Paste
Put the almonds and sugar in a grinding device or a mill (for instance an old coffee grinder) and grind the almonds to a very fine powder consistency. You can also buy ready made almond flour in some shops, this will save you the trouble of grinding but it may cost more. Now add the lemon zest and some water and first stir with a spoon, then get your hands in, until you have a smooth but very firm paste, not too wet and not too dry.
Adding 50 grams of water may seem very little, but the paste will need no more than a small amount of liquid. Just squeeze an amount under the back of a spoon or in your hand to judge how it comes together.
So we recoomend to not use the paste immediately after making but to store it in the fridge for a week or so. It will only get better as the ingredients blend together. Before using it in your bread or pie, knead some beaten egg through the paste so it becomes even smoother and easier to work with. Add the egg in stages, until you reach the consistency you want. We add between 1/4 and 1/2 of a small egg for every 150 g of almond paste, depending on the dryness and firmness of the paste. Adding the egg at this later stage is for obvious reasons of freshness, because it would not be good to store the paste for weeks with the raw egg in it. You can also use just egg yolk and add some butter to the paste to make it even richer and smoother.
Vicky says
I just want to say how helpful you are. The recipes are written so carefuĺly simple and never waffle on. I am glad to be given more ideas for using almond paste. I have an old Hungarian recipe which uses almond paste in an apple pie .and it was good to be reminded of it.Thankyou.
Monica says
can you use store bought almond paste?
Weekend Bakers says
Yes, that is no problem Monica.
Janet Graziano says
How can I fix my home made almond paste? It’s very wet! my cookies got flat!
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Janet,
We would suggest to add equal amounts of almond flour and sugar to the wet paste, to make it drier.
Marianne Arthurs says
If using almond flour, how much would i need if i use it with 250 g of sugar.
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Marianne,
Always equal parts or there about, so in your case 250 grams of almond flour combined with 250 grams of sugar would be excellent.
Enjoy your paste making and baking!
Juliana says
Hello,
Could you please let me know for how long the almond paste can be stored in the fridge? I found some left overs from last christmas on my fridge! I wonder if i can still use them.
Thank you 🙂
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Juliana,
We would not recommend using it after this many months. Sorry we did not state exactly how long you can keep it in the fridge or freezer in the posting above. We would recommend using the homemade version kept in the fridge within one month and if stored in the freezer within three months. We find the optimum is to use the paste after one to two weeks in the fridge. Make sure no air can get to the paste. You can also judge the quality of the paste after a while by checking the consistency (no hard or dried out bits for instance) and pliability.
Pat says
How much almond paste do you get from this recipe?
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Pat,
250 grams of almond paste, + 250 grams of sugar and 50 grams of water = 550 grams of almond paste 0r 1.21 pounds (lb), 19 oz.
Happy baking
Cedar says
Can this be used without adding the egg?
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Cedar,
You can leave out the egg and use the paste as is, but if you want to get the right, not too dry, consistency you need to add something to make the paste a bit more pliable and moist. You can use a bit of water and/or oil or use a (vegan) egg substitute.
Colin Fallon says
Not too wet and not too dry – that was a challenge! I think I may have gone too wet. Do you mix in the water and zest in a processor or by hand?
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Colin,
It is all done by hand. I actually like the paste to be a bit on the wet side, but you have to keep in mind that later on you are going to add egg to it, it gets a lovely creamy texture that way. It all depends on what you are going to use it for. Normally we are very exact in telling how much of what to add, but with this it seems to be different every time and I just look and feel until satisfied.
Happy baking,
Marieke
Marieke
Colin Fallon says
Thanks Marieke. I will just have to make lots of Stollen this Christmas so I can perfect my almond paste!
Villy says
Needs to sit in the fridge for 4-6 weeks before using , you can add a bit of lemon juice instead of water .also can add egg at beginning .
Weekend Bakers says
Thank you Villy. Adding the egg at a later stage also works well because you can adjust the amount to fit the recipe you are making.
Tere says
Hi,
Are you using raw or roasted almonds? I really appreciate this recipe and the fact that it adds the egg just before using the paste. Nice to know I can make this and have it on hand by using your recipe.
Thanks,
Tere
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Tere,
We use raw almonds, without the skins of course. Adding the egg really gives the paste a nice consistency (not too dry).
Happy Baking!
Marieke
Marijke says
where is the egg in the recipe?? I have an old
Dutch recipe for almond filling which includes the same ingredients as mentioned and an egg
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Marijke,
You can read about the egg part in the second half of the recipe, because you only add it just before you are going to use the paste in a recipe. This way you can keep the actual paste for a long time.
EB in TX says
Love this stuff! A food processor makes quick work, and as you point out aging really allows the flavor to develop. You can never have too much amandelspijs on hand.
Weekend Bakers says
I could not agree more! When I first made it, I could not believe how easy it was. Just good quality ingredients, and time will do the work for you…
Happy Holidays and happy baking,
Marieke
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