Nuts, almond paste

Almond paste is finely ground blanched almonds bound with sugar into a smooth, moldable dough, the base for marzipan and a fixture in European pastry. It's the filling inside almond croissants and Danish pastries, the center of a frangipane tart, and an ingredient rolled into macarons, stollen, and Scandinavian holiday cakes. Straight from the tube or can it's dense, sweet, and intensely almond-flavored, soft enough to pipe or roll but firm enough to hold shapes once baked, and it's rarely eaten on its own the way whole almonds are.

Once opened, wrap almond paste tightly in plastic and refrigerate, since the almond oil it contains can turn rancid at room temperature; well-sealed, unopened cans or tubes keep for months in a cool pantry. Per 100g, almond paste has 458 calories and delivers vitamin E at 90% of the Daily Value along with magnesium at 31% DV, protein at 18% DV, and fiber at 17% DV, reflecting the concentrated almonds it's made from. Because it also carries 36.2g of sugar per 100g, it works best measured out a spoonful at a time as a flavoring ingredient in a baked good rather than eaten straight from the jar.