Almond paste

Commercial almond paste is a mixture of equal parts almonds and sugar ground into a paste. Almond paste also contains bitter almond oil, which gives the paste its characteristic pungently sweet aroma. Almond paste is frequently used to make marzipan by combining it with glucose syrup, confectioners’ sugar, and sometimes fondant. Marzipan made in this fashion is best suited to modeling rather than to confectionery work because of its very high sugar content and corresponding low percentage of nuts. Almond paste does, however, have practical applications in confectionery, as it is a convenient way to introduce ground almonds without having to start from scratch.