by Stacey Ballis
Whether ground, sliced, or mixed into a paste, this ancient (and nutritious) nut delivers depth and dimension to your baking in all its forms.
Almonds are a home baker’s little black dress: seemingly effortless, always dependable, equally at home taking the spotlight or relegated to a supporting role. From super fancy sweets to the world’s easiest three-ingredient cookie, almonds in their various forms can take your baking to the next level. Their mild flavor can practically disappear in support of other more flamboyant flavors like mango or matcha. When toasted or brought to the forefront, almond can be an extraordinary flavor focus all on its own. It is as good a friend to fruits and citrus as it is to chocolate and coffee, and with its myriad forms, from liquid extract to prepared marzipan, it is one of the most fundamental ingredients you can keep stocked
An ancient nut, its history is long and storied. The wild bitter almond, native to the Middle East, was poisonous, containing naturally occurring hydrogen cyanide. While extract of this bitter almond was occasionally used medicinally, the risk of cyanide poisoning was high, especially for children, and so it fell out of favor. Even modern forensics experts will tell you that an odor of almonds in a deceased person’s mouth is a telltale sign of cyanide poisoning.
But not all almonds fell into the bitter category, and by the early Bronze Age, the sweet almond, likely an accident of natural cross pollination, was being widely cultivated in orchards from southern Europe and northern Africa through Central Asia since the nomadic tribes used it as a staple for their extensive travels. The almond has been discovered in many archeological sites in Jordan and was even found inside the famed King Tutankhamen’s tomb. Eventually, in the Mediterranean region where it grew easily and plentifully, it became famous for use in both savory and sweet dishes, from the spicy tagines of Morocco to the layered honeyed nut dishes like baklava in Greece and amaretti cookies in Italy. In Iran there is even a special traditional baby food made from sweet almonds called harire badam, which is almond flour mixed with milk and sometimes rice flour, and it’s so popular that they sell instant versions.
The United States (California), Spain, and Australia are the largest producers of almonds since the trees grow best in climates with wet, mild winters and long, dry, hot summers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s global almond production forecast for this year is 1.17 million tons with a record 717,000 tons coming from the United States. Almonds are prized as much for their healthful properties, touted by doctors and nutritionists as part of a heart-healthy diet, as they are for their taste. They have high protein and fiber content, equal to peanuts, but also are a good source of magnesium, vitamin E, and potassium, as well as having a high concentration of calcium. But that doesn’t make them perfect. There are concerns about the environmental impact of growing the large amounts of almonds currently in demand. Every individual almond takes over a gallon of water to grow, and since drought-plagued California produces the lion’s share of almonds, with consumption on the rise, it begs the question—how much of a good thing can we sustain?
But thoughtful consumption of this delicious nut is well worth exploring, especially as a wonderful addition to your cooking and baking. With almonds around, you are always ready for any baking occasion. Need a gluten-free cake that is still moist and flavorful? Almond flour has your back. You can make any of a variety of tortes that use ground almonds instead of flour, and you can swap out some of the flour in your favorite cakes to lighten the texture. Almond extract is a little bottle of genius just sitting in your cupboard. It can enhance and deepen both chocolate and coffee desserts with just a few drops, and is necessary in any almond-forward dessert to really make almonds the star.
Two really versatile almond products to keep on hand for your baking are almond paste and marzipan. While they appear to be roughly the same (both essentially a mixture of almond flour, sugar, and water), they are actually very different. The ratio is everything. Since almond paste is an ingredient in other products, it contains a ratio of more almonds than sugar, and therefore is much less sweet and doesn’t overpower baked goods. Marzipan, on the other hand, is a candy dough with a higher sugar ratio, and is packaged to either be eaten on its own or to decorate other baked goods. There is some debate over who developed the mixture first. It could be Middle Eastern or Chinese in origin, but there are examples of it from as early as the 12th century. Whoever invented it, the Europeans adopted it as a means of creating fanciful candies, and to this day, in areas of Italy and France, there are confectioners who specialize in making photo-realistic miniature sculptures of fruits and vegetables, even small animals. The United Kingdom and parts of Scandinavia use it as a thin covering for cakes, much like fondant, where it adds flavor and keeps cakes fresher longer.
And no baker would be caught without sliced and slivered almonds to serve as excellent crunch factor in everything from sweet breads to streusel toppings and granola.
When it comes to a baker’s arsenal, almonds are your powerhouse ingredient. Here are our go-to items:
Almond Flour
Almond flour is sometimes called almond meal, and while there is no official designation that separates the two, it is generally held that almond flour is ground a bit finer than almond meal. Some companies make a distinction in their products, and some don’t. You might get a more refined version of your recipe using the flour, which is the product we prefer for baking; meal gives a slightly more rustic result.
We Like: Bob’s Red Mill Finely Ground Almond Flour
Almond Paste
A simple combination of almonds, sugar, and glucose, be sure to keep paste in the pantry and not the fridge, which will dry it out.
We Like: Odense Almond Paste
Sliced and Slivered Almonds
We recommend storing these in heavy-duty resealable plastic bags in the freezer to keep them fresh. Bring to room temp before adding to recipes.
We Like: Diamond Sliced Almond and Diamond Slivered Almonds.
Marzipan
This candy dough is delicious all by itself, and very easy to work with. Slice into rounds right out of the tube for a last minute sweet to serve with coffee.
We Like: Solo Marzipan
Almond Extract
A combination of natural flavors, alcohol, and water. Be sure to find an extract that is all natural, as the artificial flavorings lend an unpleasant metallic note to your recipes.
We Like: The Spice House Almond Extract
