Homemade Almond Paste {Paleo, Refined Sugar Free}

For those of you on the marzipan/almond paste bandwagon, this one is for you. The topic of this delicious treat may have bakers and baked-good-eaters alike to take sides, but I am all for it. For those of you marzipan haters, more for me! Almond paste is so versatile. You can stuff chocolates with it, make cookies, cakes, pies, tarts and you name it out of it. Almond paste differs from marzipan in a few ways. The paste contains no rosewater and has less powdered sugar than its firmer, whiter cousin, marzipan.  I made mine with a hint of rosewater however, since I think the flavour compliments the almonds and almond extract.

Making almond paste is super easy, requires very little time and has barely any cleanup! The best part is, you can control how much / what type of sugar goes into it. The paste keeps in the fridge for about a month and up to 6 months in the freezer, so long as you've wrapped it nicely. Use this paste in your next baking project and you'll never go back to buying it from the store!




Almond Paste {Paleo}

1 1/2 cups ground almonds
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar** (see quick recipe below!!!)
1 organic egg white
1 -2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp rosewater, optional to taste
pinch of himalayan salt

Method

First off, you need to make your own powdered sugar. Take a deep breath, it's easy! Using a Vitamix or super powerful food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups of your choice of sugar (I used a mix of maple sugar and evaporated cane juice) and 2 -3 tbs arrowroot powder. Blend on high until the mixture turns to powder. Let the sugar settle, then blend again to ensure that there or no bigs chunks of sugar left. All done! You will have about 2 cups of powdered sugar :)

In a food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups almond flour with your powdered sugar. Blend until the mixture looks like fine white sand. (Can you tell I need a vacation?) Add in almond extract, salt and rosewater if using. Pulse 3 -5 times. Add in egg white and blend until the mixture forms a big ball. Store in plastic wrap in the form of a log, ball, or shape of your choosing.