The almond paste sweets are almond treats that are part of our Italian tradition and are mainly prepared during the Christmas season. These almond cookies are very popular in regions like Apulia and Sicily, although each region has its own traditional almond-based recipe.
These delicious treats are made with just a few simple ingredients: ground almonds or almond flour, egg whites, and sugar. The result is a soft and fragrant sweet that melts in your mouth.
In Apulia, as in other regions, almond paste sweets are part of the traditional Christmas sweets. The sweets in this recipe are decorated with powdered sugar, candied fruit, and almonds, but there are also the classic royal pastries, the almond pinches, the chocolate almond pastries, or almond sweets. In my area, the North of Bari, Christmas is also the time to prepare calzoncelli filled with almonds and the inevitable cartellate.
Preparing these almond cookies is very simple. However, I recommend preparing the dough in advance and letting it rest in the refrigerator for a whole day: it will be easier to handle and prepare the almond paste sweets. You can flavor them with lemon, orange, vanilla, or a few drops of bitter almond. They keep for several days and are so cute that they make perfect gifts.
You’ll need a food processor or a chopper to prepare them. If you have a Thermomix, you can use it to prepare the dough. In the recipe, I’ll also provide the procedure for Thermomix almond paste sweets.
Well, let’s move on to the recipe and see together how to prepare these almond sweets. Meanwhile, I’ll also leave you other collection links that might be useful during the Christmas period!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 13 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Apulia
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
- Energy 187.31 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 17.62 (g) of which sugars 16.48 (g)
- Proteins 4.78 (g)
- Fat 10.60 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 1.99 (g)
- Sodium 10.15 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 1 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Almond Paste Sweets
- 2.47 oz egg whites (about 2)
- 8.82 oz peeled almonds (finely ground or almond flour)
- 5.29 oz powdered sugar
- 1/2 bottle almond flavor (or lemon or orange peel)
- to taste vanilla powdered sugar
- to taste candied cherries
- to taste peeled almonds
Tools
- Chopper
- Small Bowl
Steps to Prepare Almond Paste Sweets
Let’s see together all the steps to prepare almond paste sweets with and without the Thermomix. The procedure is the same whether you use the Thermomix or a regular chopper or mixer. For convenience, I used the Thermomix.
For preparing almond paste sweets, you can use almond flour to save time. Alternatively, you can use already peeled almonds.
Put the whole peeled almonds and a portion of the sugar (taken from the total) in the bowl.
Chop the almonds in several rounds. Grind for a few seconds and stop, then repeat the operation 3-4 times until you reduce the almonds to flour. This method will not heat the almonds, and they will not release their oil.
Add the bitter almond flavoring or other flavors of your choice (lemon or orange).
Finally, add the egg white.
Mix for 20-30 seconds until all the ingredients are combined. The dough will seem a bit soft, but that’s normal. Place it in a container and let it rest in the refrigerator for a whole day. With resting, the dough will firm up and be easier to shape into sweets.
To make them all the same size, take about 0.88 oz of dough, create a ball and roll it in a bowl containing powdered sugar.
Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Once you have finished all the almond paste, decorate them with candied cherries and peeled almonds. If the dough is still cold from the fridge, you can proceed to bake. Otherwise, put the cookies back in the fridge on the baking sheet and let them rest for at least 1 hour.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 12-13 minutes. When they are ready, take them out of the oven and do not touch them. Let them cool before removing them from the tray.
Storage and Tips:
– Almond paste sweets stay fresh for several days. The important thing is to keep them in a well-sealed container or a tin container.
– If you use the Thermomix and decide to flavor them with orange or lemon peel, you can grind the orange or lemon peels when you chop the almonds.
– You can also decorate them by coating them with brown sugar or sliced almonds.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use almonds with the skin on?
In theory, yes, but the almond paste sweets would be darker. If you have almonds with the skin on, you can easily peel them using this method. Put them in a bowl full of water and microwave for 5 minutes at maximum power. Then let them rest for a few minutes in the water. After that, drain them and let them cool slightly. The skin will come off easily.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar?
Yes, but you will have a slightly more rustic texture.
Are almond paste sweets gluten-free and lactose-free?
Yes, no dairy is used, and almonds are gluten-free. However, make sure the other ingredients you use also have the “gluten-free” label.
