Almond paste facts for kids

Almond paste

Almond paste is a sweet and thick mixture. It's made from ground-up almonds and sugar, usually in equal amounts. A little bit of cooking oil, eggs, heavy cream, or corn syrup is added to help it stick together. It's a bit like marzipan, but almond paste usually feels a little rougher.

People use almond paste a lot as a yummy filling inside pastries. You can also find it in some chocolates. Sometimes, to make it less expensive, companies might add ground-up apricot or peach kernels to the paste. This version is sometimes called persipan.

What is Almond Paste Used For?

Almond paste is a popular filling in many different kinds of pastries around the world.

In North America

• It's a main ingredient in the American bear claw pastry.

In Nordic Countries

• In Sweden, it's called mandelmassa. People use it in cookies, muffins, and buns. It's also a filling for the traditional Shrove Tuesday pastry called semla. You can find it in Easter and Christmas sweets too!
• In Denmark, it's known as marcipan or mandelmasse. It's used in many pastries, like a filling in the traditional Danish kringle.
• In Finland, almond paste is called mantelimassa. It's used in chocolate candies and in the Finnish version of the Shrove Tuesday pastry, laskiaispulla.

In Europe

• In the Netherlands, almond paste is called amandelspijs. It's used in gevulde speculaas, which are stuffed spiced biscuits. It's also found in banket, a pastry shaped like a letter. It's a common filling for Kerststol, a fruity Christmas bread eaten at breakfast.
• In Germany, almond paste is also used in pastries and sweets. It's known as Marzipanrohmasse and is sold as "high quality marzipan from Lübeck" (Lübecker Edelmarzipan).

Almond paste fish (a typical Christmas food from Salento)

Almond paste lamb (a typical Easter food from Salento)

• In Italy, it's called "pasta di mandorle." Pastry chefs can shape this soft paste into creative forms. They use these shapes to decorate cakes or to make frutta martorana, which are realistic fruit-shaped sweets.
• In France, almond paste is the main ingredient of the traditional calisson candy from Aix-en-Provence. It's also used as a filling in almond croissants.

In Turkey

• In Turkey, almond paste is traditionally made in Edirne. This city was once the capital of the Ottoman Empire. During the Ottoman era, it was a special treat mostly enjoyed in the palace. Today, you can buy it in sweet shops in Istanbul and Edirne.

See also

In Spanish: Pasta de almendra para niños