Step 6
Transfer the compound to a plane and let it intiepidate for a few minutes by spreading it on a sheet of oven paper6.
Step 7
When it is still hot, but not boiling, work the almond paste with your hands to compact it and mix the ingredients well together, then give the dough a cylindrical shape7.
Step 8
Then close the stick in the transparent film, wrap tightly8and put it to harden in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Step 9
After resting, your almond paste is ready to use for your sweet creations9.
How to prepare Sicilian almond pastries
Step 10
To prepare the almond paste, follow the steps described above to obtain the almond flour. Then put it in a bowl together with the sugar and the aromas and add the egg white a little at a time. Knead first with a wooden spoon and then by hand for about 5 minutes: you’ll need to obtain a compact but soft dough. If the compound turns out to be too soft, add a little almond flour, if, on the contrary, it is too dry, add a spoonful of egg white. Shape the sweets with a pastry bag with a wide nozzle or by making balls of about 15 g each with your hands, as we did. Then pass them in the granulated sugar and create hollows in which to insert candied cherries or almonds. Leave the pastries to rest in the fridge for at least 12 hours, then cook at 170°C for 15 minutes, they should just brown.10.
Advise
Perfect for making different types of sweets, almond paste lends itself very well to the preparation of delicious tarts : place a disk about 3 mm thick on top of a classic shortcrust pastry , cover it with cherry jam and decorate it all with almond flakes to recall the taste inside. Then bake at 180 °C for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
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