Pâte d’amandes, marzipan, almond paste. Grandma Gaby’s recipe! The Nona!

Have you heard, or witnessed how we used to cook in our grandma and great-grandma generation?

Why Am I sexist, I could say in our grand-pa and great grand-pa generation.

Man also like to cook! Some of them.

In my father family,  men were and are always cooking.

In my mom’s family it is woman only! Until she met my father, who took over the stove!

I m both side grand-daughter, great-grand-daughter and daughter, and I love Cooking….

I cook like in the old days, With approximative proportions, and my 5 senses.

I also know how to follow a proper recipe but I find it usually less fun….very important under certain circumstances like : when you really can’tmess up your cooking and can’t order at the last minute to save the day!

So how to make Pate d Amande ( Almond paste):

Take some almond boil them, until they become tender and the brown envelopes starts detaching itself!

Then remove them from the boiling water and as soon as you can peel off the brown skin.

Once they are all cream color and shinny…

Use your mixer to reduce them to powder! ( for the lazy one buy almond powder premade… But won t taste as good).

Mix an egg  yolk, or 2 depending on the amount of almond you used! You ll see what you need as it needs to form a paste… Should not be liquid!

Add some sugar powder… Also depending on your taste but enough to keep the mix well binded !

Add some orange blossom flower water ! The delicious taste  needed in any North African desert! 

Then make little balls place them nicely on a plate 

Cover and place in the fridge for at least one hour so they become firm !

Then it s time to eat… Serve them and enjoy…

You can also open dates and insert the almond paste ball in it… Or put 2 nuts around the almond paste ball… Serve with tea or coffee or just as a dessert…

Can t believe I started writing  that post more than 500 days ago…

Kisses to all…

Miss my Grand-maman… So looking forward to these pates d Amande… I ll make some tomorrow with my kids. Send me your pixs if you try at home! Do not be affraid using my old fashion direction you can t miss.

All you need is :

Almonds

Sugar

 Orange blossom water 

Eggs ( in fact just the yolk) 

Additional any dry fruits ( better with dates or nutts).

A mixer and a fridge