Why it works: Sugar and almond are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,679 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Almond Paste Bar
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 254°F (123°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Make the syrup
In a large pot, combine sugar, glucose, and water.
Cook the mixture until it reaches 254°F (123°C).
Form and set
Remove from heat and stir in almond paste and fondant until well mixed.
Pour the mixture into pans lined with wafer sheets.
Cover the top with another wafer sheet and place a weight on top.
Let it set for 2 hours, then cut into 5-inch bars or small squares.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + almondtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,679 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Provides sweetness and, when cooked, the firm structure that holds the bar together.
- Glucose
- Inhibits crystallization, keeping the set mass smooth and tender rather than grainy.
- Almond paste
- Adds almond flavor and a dense, chewy body to the bar.
- Fondant
- Adds sweetness and a smooth, soft texture to the finished bar.
The step that matters
Cooking the syrup to 254°F (123°C). Sugar syrup must reach the right concentration to set firm once cooled. Stopping early leaves the bars soft and sticky, while overcooking makes them hard and brittle.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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