10 
BULLETIN 1305, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
ALMOND POWDER 
The making of macaroons has not been carried on to any extent in 
the ordinary household, but has been confined largely to bakers and 
confectioners, probably because of the difficulty and trouble encoun- 
tered in preparing the macaroon dough from the paste. With a view, 
therefore, to a product that could be easily handled by the house- 
wife, almond powder has been developed. This product differs from 
almond paste in two important features: It contains all the sugar 
necessary, therefore doing away with the disagreeable operation of 
mixing sugar into the paste with the fingers; it has only about 2 per 
cent of moisture, whereas the paste contains from 10 to 15 per cent, 
making a sticky, pasty mass to handle. Almond powder is dry, 
somewhat granular, can be readily poured from the package, and the 
only operation necessary to make the macaroons is to beat the proper 
number of whites of eggs in a bowl, mix in the required quantity of 
almond powder with a spoon, and 
bake. Trials made in several 
kitchens have demonstrated the 
ease and simplicity with which mac- 
aroons can be made from this 
powder. 
METHOD OF MAKING ALMOND POWDER 
After many experiments the fol- 
lowing method has been adopted 
for making almond powder : 
The blanched and ground ker- 
nels are placed in the mixing ma- 
chine (fig. 9) with confectioners' 
sugar, at the rate of 62 per cent of 
kernels to 38 per cent of sugar, 
and thoroughly mixed. To this is 
added,- in the same mixer, confec- 
tioners' sugar at the rate of 43 per 
cent of sugar to 57 per cent of the 
mixture. As in the manufacture of 
the paste, the addition of a small quantity of oil of bitter almonds free 
from hydrocyanic acid is necessary. A pound to approximately 375 
pounds of the powder is found to impart the proper flavor. Bitter- 
almond kernels when substituted for the oil were found unsatisfac- 
tory, since the flavor imparted was harsh and the product had a dis- 
tinctly bitter taste. 
After the ingredients have been mixed it may be desirable to pass 
the material through a sieve having about 20 meshes to the inch, 
which will give it a very uniform appearance. But if the kernels 
have been ground to a fine uniform texture with no coarse particles 
and incorporated thoroughly with the sugar this procedure will not 
be necessary. The powder is now ready to be put in packages. 
Tig. 9.— Machine for mixing the ground al- 
monds, sugar, and flavoring in the preparation 
of almond powder 
