Ground almonds can be made with a food processor, blender, or by hand with a rolling pin. Small pieces are easier to grind, and overprocessing should be avoided. Blanched or unblanched almonds can be used, and it’s important to grind slowly to avoid making a fine powder.
A food processor or blender can be used to make ground almonds or they can be ground by hand using a rolling pin. Ground almonds are easier to prepare if the nuts are cut into small pieces first. It may help to grind just a small amount of nuts at one time for an even texture. These peanuts shouldn’t be overprocessed, which is indicated when they start to secrete some oil. Blanched or unblanched walnuts can be used when baking with almonds.
Almonds are generally very hard nuts that can be difficult to grind by hand. For this reason, many cooks like to prepare ground almonds in a food processor or blender; a coffee grinder can also be used. Whole dice can be difficult to cut and can clog the electric blades, so smaller pieces may produce better results. Using a pulsating action to grind the almonds can help ensure they are processed evenly and prevent them from sticking to the blades. In the case of a paste, powdered sugar could be sprinkled on the nut mixture to absorb some of the natural oil of this nut and make the process easier.
If a blender or food processor is not available, ground almonds can be made with a rolling pin. This can be done by placing the waxed paper on a work surface and then laying the ground almonds on top. By moving the rolling pin back and forth, the nuts can be ground very finely and evenly. Some cooks like to place an extra sheet of waxed paper on top of the dice because this tends to help the rolling pin slide smoothly.
While finely chopped almonds can be ideal for many recipes, too finely chopped walnuts can be unusable. It can be difficult for a beginner to know when almonds have reached this stage, so it’s a good idea for cooks to grind them very slowly the first few times. That way, they can clearly see when the nuts get oily or the area around the almonds gets greasy. It’s a good idea to stop grinding the nuts whenever this happens so that the finished product doesn’t become a fine powder rather than ground nuts.
Blanched almonds are those that have had their skins removed, and this is usually indicated on the product label. Some people prefer to use blanched almonds in a food processor because they can be easier to grind. Others may prefer the taste of unblanched almonds. It may be a good idea for cooks who have never made ground almonds to try both types to see which they prefer.
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