| Almond Paste and Marzipan
are closely related. While there is no standard of identity for Almond Paste and
Marzipan there are some general guidelines. Almond Paste is made from 1 part or
more almonds to 1 part sugar. Almond Paste is used as an ingredient in cakes,
tarts and pastries. And it can be used to make marzipan. Marzipan can be
made with 1 part or more almonds to 3 parts sugar (both granulated and liquid).The
addition of liquid sugar makes the paste more pliable, suitable for molding into
fanciful shapes. Marzipan can be tinted and rolled to cover cakes and pastries. Love'n
Bake ™ Almond Paste and Marzipan has one of the highest percentages of almonds.
Our Almond Paste contains approximately 2 parts almond to 1 part sugar Our Marzipan
contains approximately 1 part almond to 1.5 parts sugar Steel cans provide a dark and totally
sealed container in which to package food. We use steel cans to insure freshness.
When exposed to air and light, almond paste and marzipan will discolor, dry out
and loose flavor. Plastic film packaging can expose almond paste and marzipan
to light and air. This is not of concern when such products are packaged in cans. Our products should
be tightly sealed using the lid provided and refrigerated. This preserves moisture
and freshness. Use opened cans of our products
within 1 month of opening for best results. Once
opened, all of our ingredients should be kept tightly covered and refrigerated
until needed because nut products contain beneficial oils which are prone to rancidity
when open and left at room temperature.
Nut butter
refers to nuts that may or may not be toasted before being ground into a smooth,
creamy spread such as almond or peanut butter. Nut paste usually refers to ground
nuts that have been blended with a quantity of sugar. Nut Pastes may be made from
raw nuts that are cooked with sugar, such as for almond paste and marzipan. Some
Europeans made this type of paste with raw pistachios. Apricot kernels may also
be made into a paste of this type. The word praline refers to a number of
candies and preparations that combine toasted nuts and sugar. The word comes from
the French term praliné which means, the process of cooking almonds or
hazelnuts with sugar until toasted and caramelized. Americans hear the word praline
and think of a pecan candy. The confusion comes from French Acadians settling
in New Orleans in the 18th century. They used pecans, the only nuts on hand, adopting
the name praline for their signature sweet. Hazelnut Praline is a blend
of toasted nuts ground with sugar. In the commercial kitchen, Praline paste is
usually made with hazelnuts. Our Hazelnut Praline is made from toasted hazelnuts
which are ground and blended with sugar to make a smooth sweet paste just right
for flavoring butter cream icings, puddings, ice cream and velvety fudge. Our Hazelnut Praline is approximately
2 parts toasted hazelnuts and one part sugar. First we lightly toast pistachios then grind and blend them with
sugar and flavorings. Some oil is added to make the paste smooth and creamy because
the oil content of pistachios is low. We add a touch of subtle natural flavoring
to give our paste the aroma of fresh Mediterranean pistachios. Our Poppy Seed Filling
is a smooth blend of finely milled Dutch blue poppy seeds and sweeteners and can
be used directly from the can as a filling for ethnic pastries and breads. Because
it has a high percentage of poppy seeds, you may like to stir in a teaspoon of
vanilla extract, lemon juice or brandy before using to adjust its consistency.
The taste of this filling may vary slightly from batch to batch as it is made
from an agricultural product but this has no bearing on its quality.
Our Hazelnut Praline, and Natural Pistachio Nut Paste
are natural products that DO NOT contain a stabilizer which has been made from
hydrogenated fat. Therefore natural oil separation may occur over time in these
products and should be stirred back in before using. Lekvar is a natural prune purée made by cooking select California
prunes with sugar to make a smooth, thick and spreadable fruit butter. It is the
perfect for filling hamantaschen, prune Danish pastries, and sweet yeast breads.
And it can also be spread from the can directly onto bread, rolls, and toast or
spooned into yogurt for breakfast. Our "Schmear"
fillings are ready to use fillings for baked goods such as yeasted sweet dough
used to make coffee cake, sticky buns, babkas, croissants, brioche or Danish pastries.
Rugelach pastries, puff pastry or other dough pockets can be filled with the "Schmear"
fillings before baking. Our "Schmear" fillings retain their intense
flavor after baking. They are designed not to run or flow. And, when enclosed
in a dough or batter, they retain much of their moist texture. "Schmear"
fillings may be used with scratch dough or popular dough sold in the refrigerator
case - biscuit dough, crescent roll dough, cinnamon roll dough or other yeast
dough. For pie or tart dough, spread the "Schmear" fillings on the bottom
before filling with fresh fruit or custard then bake. Our "Schmear"
fillings may also be spooned into cake batter to create an intensely flavorful
pocket or swirl of almond, cinnamon or chocolate taste after baking. The following products are gluten-free: Almond
Paste, Almond Marzipan, Hazelnut Praline, Pistachio Paste, Poppy Seed Filling,
Prune Lekvar, and Chocolate Schmear Filling. The following products contain
gluten: Almond Schmear Filling, and Cinnamon Schmear Filling. This information
is repeated on each Product's page in our online store, for your convenience.
Yes. All of our products
are Kosher Pareve, certified by OK Laboratories.
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