Almond paste (4)

Christmas recipe.

You grind the almonds to the meat grinder, adding every now and then a teaspoon of water to do not over-dry the almonds and lose their oil.

The sugar you put fire in a saucepan with a little water, about 300 g, in order to make a mint julep, and when going to spin, after about 10 minutes, and taking a drop between your thumb and forefinger you see that makes the small wire, pour the minced almonds.

To do this without burning you must first get wet your fingers with a little cold water.

You bake the almond paste over low heat, stirring to prevent sticking to the pan.

When you notice that begins to detach itself from the casserole, you can consider crush and remove from heat.

Pour into a dish and leave to cool.

When the dough is completely cool, you work and knead with your hands, then you can paint by adding cocoa to make it chocolate, powdered cochineal or alkermes to become pink or red, saffron for yellow, and other colourants for sweets for the other colors.

From almond paste derived a variety of sweets in Salento, whose most famous are definitely Christmas fish and lamb Easter cake.