Why it works: Almond and rose are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,465 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
To Prepare Almond Paste
Ingredients
Directions
Blanch the almonds and let them dry thoroughly.
Pound the almonds in a mortar to a smooth paste.
Sprinkle with a few drops of cold water, egg white, rose water, or lemon juice while pounding to prevent oiling.
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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Almond + rosetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,465 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Almond + eggtop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,645 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Egg + rosetop 28% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,840 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Blanched almonds
- Provide the main body and flavour of the paste as they are pounded fine.
- Egg white
- Binds the pounded almonds together, giving the paste a smoother, more cohesive texture.
- Cold water
- Helps keep the almond paste from releasing its oil while it is pounded.
The step that matters
Adding liquid while pounding. Almonds release oil as they are crushed, and the paste can turn greasy or oily if it heats up or separates. Adding a few drops of cold liquid while pounding helps keep the paste smooth and emulsified.
“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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