Almond Paste with Whole Almonds

1. Place almonds and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor; process to a meal-like consistency, scraping down the sides and over the bottom of the bowl as needed. Don't overprocess it--at this point, the mixture should still be crumbly, not paste-like.

2. Add egg white and almond extract; process until it lumps together. If it remains crumbly, add more egg white, a few drops at a time.

3. Use a silicone spatula to remove almond paste from the food processor. It not using it right away, wrap it in waxed paper and store in an airtight container to use within a few hours. Or, place the wrapped almond paste in a freezer bag and freeze for up to six months.

Cook's Notes:

It's important to note that almond paste requires whole almonds. Using almond meal or almond flour won't give you the same slightly coarse texture.

Most almond paste recipes call for egg whites. Because the almond paste is generally used for baking, the risk of salmonella contamination is low, as the hot oven temperatures kill the salmonella bacteria.