Almond Paste

Ingredients

• ¢ lb. fine castor sugar
• ¢ lb. icing sugar
• 1 Ib. ground almonds
• 2 eggs
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 teaspoon orange flavour
• 4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

1. 1

   Roll the icing sugar and then the castor sugar to break down any small lumps.

2. 2

   Add the ground almonds and mix with lemon juice.

3. 3

   Add the beaten eggs and essences and work well with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth paste which will roll out without cracking.

4. 4

   Knead well.

5. 5

   Avoid overhandling, as this might cause the paste to become brittle.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The new Albatross recipe book (1930) by Spillers Limited, page 14. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Almond Paste Use a half of the quantities given in the Almond Paste recipe on page 29. Divide into two portions. 8 oz. Albatross Self-Raising Flour ji-1 lb. mixed fruit, washed 4 teaspoon mixed spice and dried + teaspoon salt 2 oz. chopped peel or marma- 3 oz. margarine lade 1 oz. lard Grated rind of an orange or 3 oz. sugar lemon 1 tablespoon syrup 1 teaspoon almond essence 3 eggs 2-3 tablespoons milk Pinch of bi-carbonate of soda Sift the flour, spice and salt together. Cream the margarine, lard and sugar very well. Work in the syrup and beaten eggs. Beatwell. (Sprinkle in a little of the flour if it looks like curdling.) Fold ina quarter of the flour and then add the fruit, marmalade or peel, grated rind and essence. Then add the remaining flour and the milk, with the soda stirred into it. Level off half the mixture into greased and floured tin, 6” to 7” across. Roll out half the almond paste to size of tin and place on top. Add remaining cake mixture, level it off and bake in a very slow oven for three hours. (Regulo Mark 2 or 320-340° Fahr.). Roll out other half of almond paste to size and gently press it on top of cake as soon as this is cold. Crimp edges and decorate top with Easter decorations. EDITH’S CAKE 3 oz. Albatross Self-Raising Flour 3 oz. butter or margarine 4 oz. castor sugar 2 large eggs A few drops vanilla essence 1 tablespoon water Cream the fat and sugar very well. Stir inthe flour. Lightly add the very well beaten eggs and the vanilla essence. Finally, add the water. Turn into a well greased and floured 6” tin and bake for 35- 40 minutes ina moderately hot oven. (Regulo Mark 4 or 375° Fahr.). ar SHORTBREAD 3 oz. Albatross Seif-Raising 1-14 oz. castor sugar Flour Pinch of salt 1 oz. cornflour 2 oz. margarine Sieve together the flours, sugar and salt on to the pastry board. Add the fat in one piece (it should have been kept in a warm room, so that it is soft, but not too soft). Then work the dry mixture into the margarine, and if possible keep the fat intact. Knead until the whole is of a good, well-worked consistency. Then pat it out into the inside ofa roundtin. Flute the edges and, with a fork, mark the shortbread in wedges. Bake for 50-60 minutes in a cool oven. (Regulo Mark 2 or 320° Fahr.). When rice flour is obtainable allow 1 oz. of it in place of the corn- flour. VIENNESE SHORTBREAD 4 oz. Albatross Self-Raising 4 oz. plain flour Flour i oz. butter or margarine 2 oz. fine castor sugar 4 teaspoon vanilla essence Have ready greased and floured, baking sheets or the bottom of an upturned roasting tin. Sift the flours together. Cream the fat. Add the sugar and cream very well. Beatin the vanilla essence. Work in half the flours and beat well, keeping the mixture light and creamy. Gradually beat in the remainder. The mixture must be light and smooth. Put into a piper with a large- sized rose pipe (for cake decoration) or use a fine potato pipe. Pipe on to the prepared tin in strips, scrolls or circles. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a moderately hot oven. (Regulo Mark 4 or 365- 375° Fahr.), VIENNESE TARTLETS Cut out rounds of Semolina or Rice Biscuits (see pages 19 and 20). With a small border pipe, pipe the Viennese Shortbread mixture in an inner circle near the edge of each. Bake as above. When cold, fill the centre with jelly, raspberry jam or lemon or orange curd. COCOANUT FINGERS 2 oz. Albatross Self-Raising 2 oz. butter or margarine Flour 1 teacup brown sugar i teacup desiccated cocoa- 1 egg nut }+ teaspoon vanilla essence Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the fat. Work in the sugar and cocoanut. Beat the egg and vanilla essence and work them into the other mixture. Spread ina greased and floured shallow tin and bake for 15-20 minutes in a moderately slow oven (Regulo Mark 4 or 365- 375° Fahr.). Cut into fingers in the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack, FAIRY CAKES Sift 5 oz. Albatross self-raising flour and a pinch of salt. Beat 3 oz. margarine until creamy then blend in 3 oz. sugar until the mixture is very light. Whip in 2 well beaten eggs, then mix in the flour and 2 28 tablespoons fairly warm water alternately, to make a light batter. Add, if liked, 2 oz. cleaned currants. Turn into greased bun or queen cake tins and bake for 15 minutes in a moderate oven (Regulo Mark 5 or 375-400° Fahr.). ALBATROSS SPONGE MIXTURE You can make an excellent fatless sponge mixture, using Albatross Self-raising Flour. Here is a basic recipe: 4 oz. Albatross Self-Raising 2 eggs - Flour 4 oz. castor sugar 1 tablespoon warm water Break the eggs into a bowl and whip for several minutes. Add the sugar and whip for 5 minutes. When the mixture is thick and of a much lighter tone, add the water then stir in the sifted flour lightly with an over and over movement. Use for the following: SPONGE CAKE Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar into a greased and floured tin measur - ing 54 inches in diameter. Turn the sponge mixture into it and bake for 45 minutes ina slow oven. (Regulo Mark 3 or 345-360° Fahr.). SPONGE SANDWICH Grease and flour two sandwich tins. Divide the sponge mixture between them and bake for 15 minutes in a moderately hot oven. (Regulo Mark 5 or 375-400° Fahr.). SWISS ROLL Use a Swiss roll tin measuring 11” by 12-13”. Grease and warm it. Pour the sponge mixture into it and spread it to the corners. Bake for S minutes in a fairly hot oven (Regulo Mark 6 or 410-420° Fahr.),. Heat 2-3 tablespoons apricot or pipless raspberry jam with one of water. Whenthe cake is ready, turn it on to paper sprinkled with a little sugar. At once trim off the edges and as quickly as possible spread the jam on it and roll it up. Leave it wrapped in the paper for a few minutes to help it to keep its shape. ALMOND PASTE ¢ lb. fine castor sugar Juice of 1 lemon ¢ lb. icing sugar 4 teaspoon orange flavour 1 Ib. ground almonds

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