Ingredient

Almonds

An untoasted almond tastes of very little. Toasted, it becomes sweet, nutty and aromatic — and the difference is so large that almost every recipe using almonds is improved by a step most recipes do not mention.

The forms

Whole, skin on

The cheapest and the best keeping. Toast and chop as needed.

Blanched whole

Skins removed. Milder and paler. For marzipan, praline and anything where the skin would show.

Flaked

Thin slices. For scattering and topping. They burn very fast — watch them constantly.

Nibbed or chopped

Small pieces, for texture in baking.

Ground almonds

Coarser than flour. Adds moisture, fat and tenderness to cakes, and is what makes frangipane and macarons.

Almond flour

Finely ground blanched almonds. Smoother than ground almonds, and what macarons actually want.

Why toasting matters so much

Raw almonds are mild, slightly bitter and mostly texture. Heat drives the Maillard reaction between their proteins and sugars and generates a large number of aroma compounds that simply are not present in the raw nut.

It also drives off some moisture, which makes the nut crisper and concentrates the flavour, and it warms the fats so their aroma is released.

Five to eight minutes in a 180°C oven, shaken once, until fragrant and a shade darker. Or in a dry pan over a medium heat, moving constantly. Watch them — nuts go from perfect to burnt in under a minute, and burnt nuts are bitter throughout.

Let them cool completely before chopping or using; they crisp as they cool.

Using them

• In cakes — ground almonds in place of some flour give a moister, denser, more tender crumb that keeps far longer.
• Frangipane — ground almonds, butter, sugar and egg, baked in a tart with fruit. One of the most useful things in baking.
• Scattered on vegetables and salads, toasted and roughly chopped, for texture.
• In sauces — ground almonds thicken and enrich, as in romesco and many Spanish and Middle Eastern dishes.
• Praline — toasted almonds set in caramel and crushed. Keeps for weeks and improves almost any dessert.
• Marzipan — blanched ground almonds with sugar and egg white.

Storing them

• Nuts are high in unsaturated fat and go rancid. Rancid nuts smell sharp, of paint or old crayons, and taste bitter — and one handful ruins a cake.
• Buy from somewhere with turnover, and in quantities you will use.
• Store them in the fridge or freezer, sealed, especially ground almonds, which have far more surface area and go rancid fastest.
• They keep months in the fridge and a year or more in the freezer. There is no need to defrost before using.
• Smell them before using. This takes two seconds and saves whole batches.
• Toast them just before use rather than in advance; toasted nuts go stale faster.

Common questions