Almond extract is very in demand in the modern world, especially among culinary lovers. At the same time, few people know that almonds are a representative of the plum genus, and not one of the varieties of nuts. There is a second name for the extract, which can often be found in culinary recipes - almond essence. It has a very pronounced almond smell. The color of the essence is light brown. In most cases, the extract is used as a flavoring agent.
Almond essence is produced from the oils of the almond fruit. Its use is very common in cooking. But it is not limited to one field of activity. The extract is also used in cosmetology, pharmaceuticals and perfumery.
We know from history that almonds have been very popular for thousands of years. In ancient times, almond oil was used by Cleopatra. It was believed that it helps the body to cheer up. And during the Roman Empire it was used to strengthen the skin.
Almond trees grow mainly in Asian countries and Mediterranean regions. Externally, the almond fruit is very similar to peach pits. It has been widely used in cooking for many centuries. In China and Indonesia, almonds are the main ingredient in traditional meat dishes.
There are two varieties of almonds:
- bitter;
- sweet.
Sweet almonds and their extract are mainly added to the preparation of fluffy desserts and ice cream. Bitter almonds are not used in cooking due to the toxic substances they contain. But when the fruit is processed into essence using cold pressing, all harmful substances disappear. This essence is used mainly for making cookies and pies.
Almond extract is very useful due to the large number of medicinal substances, essential oils, vitamins and vegetable proteins that make up the fruit.
There are many substitutes for natural almond extract that do not provide all the beneficial properties and vitamins found in almonds. It is very difficult to distinguish a natural essence from a substitute, since they are very similar in taste and smell. The composition of the natural extract must include:
- sweet almond oil;
- ethanol.
Almond essence will perfectly complement many confectionery products and dessert dishes, giving them an amazing taste, aroma, filling them with vitamins, oils and benefiting the body.
Beneficial properties and harm
The beneficial properties of almond extract are varied due to its unique composition, which contains the following acids:
- oleic;
- palmitic;
- linoleic
To preserve all the beneficial substances contained in the almond extract, hot pressing is not used in production, and the nuts are dried naturally. If you use a different production method or add any substances, all beneficial properties may disappear.
The extract is an anti-inflammatory agent and has a positive effect on the human immune system. Its use helps rejuvenate and get rid of skin redness, strengthens the heart, and reduces the risk of developing cancer.
Due to the composition of the active components and the general strengthening effect of almond extract, it is used in the preparation of medicines that help treat colds, replenish vitamin deficiencies, and quickly restore tissue.
Almond essence is common in cosmetology. With its addition, various creams, shampoos, masks for skin and hair are made. Essence:
- has a healing effect;
- is a laxative;
- fills the skin with vitamins;
- smoothes out small wrinkles;
- increases skin elasticity;
- strengthens hair;
- stimulates hair growth;
- prevents split hair;
- is a powerful antioxidant.
Almond essence is ideal for people who want to have beautiful, healthy hair. It normalizes fat metabolism in tissues, fights dandruff, eliminates dryness, and prevents the appearance of rashes and other inflammations.
You can find out more detailed information about how to prepare the extract at home and its use below.
Uses of almond extract
The use of almond extract has become widespread in Europe and the USA. There it is used as an additive to baked goods, sorbets and ice cream.
By adding a couple of drops of extract when preparing a biscuit, roll or some other dessert, you will fill it with unsurpassed aroma, taste and nutrients. Many aromatic coffee lovers also add a couple of drops of almond essence to the drink.
In cosmetology, the use of almond extract is very popular and varied. It can help prevent the appearance of stretch marks on the chest, thighs and abdomen. To do this, you need to warm up the essence and rub it into problem areas of the skin. The procedure will have a greater effect if it is performed immediately after taking a shower or bath, on a wet body. This way the skin will absorb all the beneficial substances faster. However, this method will not work to get rid of existing stretch marks.
Almond extract is hypoallergenic. It can be used for split ends of hair, applied to the face, hair roots, and applied to the eyelids.
Every woman wants to get an even golden tan, but this is not always possible. In order to make your dream come true, you need to purchase almond essence. It will moisturize the skin, saturate it with vitamins A and E, prevent it from drying out - and your tan will be even. The extract can be used before sunbathing; to do this, rub it into the skin an hour before going to the beach or after returning from the beach.
In folk medicine, almond extract is used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. Treatment options are suggested below.
Quite often, modern perfumers use almond extract to create perfumes. It will fill them with a soft milky aroma with characteristic notes of the well-known almond.
Thus, the uses of almond extract are quite varied. It gives a pleasant taste, aroma and fills the body with essential vitamins and nutrients.
What can be replaced?
What can you substitute for almond extract? When preparing any dish that requires the addition of essence, but it is not at hand, every housewife tries to replace this product with something. There are four main ingredients that can be used to replace almond essence:
- almond oil;
- vanilla essence;
- ratafia;
- nut oils.
Almond essence adds a sweet, nutty flavor to baked goods. But purchasing this product can be quite difficult.
The most popular replacement option is almond oil, which is what the essence is made from. But don’t forget that almond extract also contains ethyl alcohol, which produces a pleasant baking aroma. When replacing the extract with oil, the proportions must be taken into account. If the recipe says to add one teaspoon of essence, then only one gram of oil needs to be added.
Vanilla essence is also used as a substitute for almond essence. It will add a sweet aroma, but unfortunately, it will not give the dish a nutty flavor. If a recipe calls for one teaspoon of almond extract, add half a teaspoon of vanilla essence.
Almond liqueur will serve as an excellent substitute for the extract. To do this, instead of one teaspoon of essence, you need to use 30 milliliters of liqueur.
As a substitute, you can add various nut butters, but you should use such ingredients in moderation, as the baked goods may turn out sticky and with a strong nut flavor.
Housewives often experiment by adding various ingredients to their dishes and giving them new tastes, so replacing any missing ingredient is a common thing. The main thing is to choose the right one, which product is best to replace and in what volume, so as not to spoil the dish.
How to make extract at home?
How to make extract at home? Will it turn out the same as the purchased one? How long will it take? Lovers of natural, homemade almond extract often ask these questions. After all, no one wants to spoil the essence. A detailed description of the preparation process is presented below.
The best way to make almond essence at home is sweet almonds. First of all, three grams of almonds must be infused with thirty milliliters of vodka. Then you need to boil a glass of water in a container and blanch the fruit for a minute, then you need to dry it and remove the skin, which should peel off very well. Peeled almonds need to be crushed a little, poured into a dark jar, pour in 0.5 liters of vodka, close the lid and leave to infuse in a dry, dark place for 1.5-2 months, stirring occasionally. The infused extract must be filtered and poured into a convenient jar.
Making homemade almond extract is quite simple, and most importantly, healthy. By making it yourself, you will be completely sure that it does not contain any harmful additives and will benefit your body.
Almond extract is a very useful and versatile product. By adding just a couple of drops of essence to coffee or baked goods, you will not only experience an amazing aroma, but also fill your body with useful substances.
There are two main varieties of almonds – bitter and sweet. Bitter kernels are used as an addition to poultry and fish dishes: they add an incomparable light nutty aroma. In Asian cuisine you can find many recipes for preparing hot dishes and salads with almonds.
Bitter almonds are pre-processed and used to produce drinks and flavor desserts. Many people love the exquisite Amaretto liqueur, which is consumed in its pure form, and also soaked into cakes, poured over ice cream or added to cocktails.
All over the world, sweet almonds are used to flavor baked goods and sweet culinary products (pies, cookies, muffins).
How to replace almonds in baking?
If you decide to make cookies, but there are no almonds in the house, you can replace them with regular rolled oats. To do this, pour half a glass of flakes into a frying pan and fry until golden brown. This will give the cereal a nutty flavor. If you put a little butter in the pan, the oatmeal takes on the aroma of marzipan. Feel free to put it in the dough: in the finished dish, the flakes are difficult to distinguish from almonds.
How to make marzipan without almonds?
Marzipan is a sweet dessert made from ground almond kernels and powdered sugar. The nut mass is used to decorate cakes, make sweets and figurines for festive table decorations. The marzipan mixture sticks together without third-party additives due to the high content of almond oil. If you add other nuts (peanuts or walnuts) instead of almonds, the mixture will not be elastic enough, and the finished dessert may quickly crumble.
It is quite difficult to replace almonds in marzipan, but craftsmen have invented an inexpensive way to prepare artificial marzipan:
- A tablespoon of starch (corn or rice);
- 50 ml water;
- Fine powdered sugar.
The starch is poured with water, stirred thoroughly and brewed with half a glass of boiling water, essence, a little lemon juice and powdered sugar are added. The prepared mass is stirred until it becomes plastic, like plasticine.
Artificial walnut marzipans
You will need to take:
- 100 g peeled walnuts;
- 100 g powdered sugar;
- A tablespoon of Amaretto.
Dry the nuts in the oven, grind thoroughly using a meat grinder or blender, and mix with powdered sugar. After this, grind again in a meat grinder and add Amaretto. The mixture is quickly kneaded. In a cool place, artificial marzipan remains fresh for a long time.
Artificial semolina marzipans
- ½ cup semolina;
- ½ cup powdered sugar;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of cognac;
- A few drops of almond essence;
- 1.5-2 tablespoons of softened butter;
- A tablespoon of ground apricot kernels.
Knead the mixture well until it has an elastic consistency. If the dough crumbles, add a little water. Unfortunately, such marzipans dry out quite quickly.
How to replace almonds in salads?
The recipe for many salads includes almonds; they go well with herbs, chicken, turkey, tuna, and fruits. Pine nuts are an excellent substitute for almonds: the slight smell of pine needles and haze combines with the listed ingredients. Since pine nuts are a rather expensive product, you can use peanuts, cashews or walnuts in salads.
Let's sum it up
- To make cookies and muffins, you can use toasted oatmeal with butter instead of almonds;
- You can prepare marzipan mass from walnuts, corn starch, powdered sugar and almond essence;
- Instead of almonds, you can put pine or walnuts, cashews, and peanuts in the salad.
Many amazing sweets can be prepared on your own in a regular kitchen. And sometimes it happens that you are already tired of all the usual pies, cookies and buns, and you want to experiment with something unusual. Just such an excellent option for experimentation would be almond cookies, known to us as “macarons”. This is a product of French confectioners, which can now be purchased from us. Or you can cook it yourself. So, let's look at a recipe for making macarons without almond flour.
Macaroon looks like a small cake or a rather complex cookie. It is based on almond flour and meringue. But purchasing almond flour in most of our stores is simply unrealistic. Fortunately, experimenters have found several options that will help you do without it when making macarons.
In fact, the main taste of such a dessert is determined by the filling; the cookie halves themselves are made with virtually no aromatic additives.
Factory-made flourless macarons. Making your own flour!
If you cannot find almond flour on sale, you can prepare it yourself by purchasing half a kilogram of almonds. First, you need to wash the nuts and pour them into a bowl of boiling water. Let them soak for twenty minutes. Next, pour the prepared almonds onto a sieve and rinse with boiled cool water. Then the readers of Popular Health will have to work hard to peel all the nuts. Pour the processed almonds onto a baking sheet and place in the oven preheated to one hundred degrees. After half an hour, remove the nuts and grind them in a coffee grinder or food processor. To ensure that the almond flour is homogeneous, you must sift it.
How to make macarons with the resulting flour?
It is best to prepare proper macarons with a special kitchen scale. So, measure one hundred and fifty grams of sifted flour and add one hundred and fifty grams of powdered sugar directly to it. Mix well and sift again.
Take a saucepan of the appropriate size. Pour one hundred and fifty grams of sugar into it and pour in fifty milliliters of water. Afterwards, prepare the bag with the nozzle, place it in a tall glass and wrap the neck - this will make it convenient to put the dough inside. To prepare macarons, cover a baking sheet with parchment and draw a stencil on it (circles of equal size), you can use a glass for this.
Pour fifty milliliters of prepared protein into a container suitable for whipping. Place a saucepan with sugar on the fire, add the desired coloring and heat the syrup to ninety-five degrees. Immediately beat the egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. During this time, the syrup should warm up to one hundred and ten degrees. Pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites in a thin stream, continuing to beat the egg whites with the mixer. Cool the resulting mixture to about forty-five degrees, then pour the remaining protein into it and add the mixture of flour and powder. Stir well until the mixture is smooth and slightly runny. Place the dough into a pastry bag and pipe the cookies onto the prepared parchment. Leave the baking sheet on the table for half an hour, during which time preheat the oven to one hundred and forty degrees. Place the macarons in the oven for twelve to eighteen minutes. As soon as the macarons easily come away from the parchment, they can be considered ready. Place them in an airtight container and keep until you prepare the filling.
Recipe without almond flour
In fact, you could very well try making macarons with regular flour. Of course, they will not have the taste of a real French dessert, but, nevertheless, by using the recipe below at home, you will definitely please yourself and your loved ones.
To prepare such a dessert, you should stock up on one hundred grams of wheat flour, eighty grams of powdered sugar and a couple of eggs.
First of all, sift the flour with powdered sugar. The weights above are the weight of the ingredients already prepared.
Next, start separating the yolk from the white. Remember that to prepare a delicious delicacy it is very important that not a drop of yolk gets into the white. Beat the whites until they form stiff peaks. At this time, you can add a little dye to them (only food coloring, preferably gel coloring).
Combine the foam and mixture of flour and powdered sugar. Mix carefully and fill a pastry bag with the mixture.
Place the cakes on the parchment at least three centimeters apart. Wait until they dry a little on top (about twenty to thirty minutes), during which time a characteristic crust will appear on the dough. If you touch the workpiece with your finger at this time (lightly), there should be no mark left on it. Then send the future macarons to the oven, preheated to one hundred and sixty degrees. Cook for about a quarter of an hour. Depending on the chosen filling, the pieces can be used warm or you need to wait for them to cool completely.
Then apply the selected filling to one half and press down on the other. Place the finished cakes in the refrigerator for twelve hours.
The human body is as unique as the leaves of a tree or like snowflakes - no two are alike, even if they are twins. Therefore, it is not surprising that different people react to certain foods differently. But the individual reactions of the body are far from the only reason why sometimes you have to give up the usual ingredients of some dishes. For example, wheat, rye, or How could such a seemingly harmless product cause intolerance? Is it possible to replace flour with something, and if so, what?
Reasons for refusing flour
The main argument for eliminating flour in your diet for some people is allergies. Most often, a similar reaction occurs to wheat varieties. In this case, there are two types of allergies. The first is intolerance to flour dust. This allergy is similar to hay fever (a reaction to various types of pollen), and therefore occurs most often in people suffering from this disease. The second is gluten intolerance. This substance is one of the elements of wheat grain. There are two ways out of the situation: either take antihistamines that relieve allergy symptoms, or stop eating flour.
Another disease that forces you to give up flour products is celiac disease - high sensitivity of the small intestine to gluten. This disease makes digestion difficult; a person suffers from frequent bowel movements, bloating, skin problems and other symptoms that, without proper treatment, can provoke gastrointestinal cancer. Unfortunately, celiac disease cannot be treated with medications, and the only way to avoid negative consequences is to find something that can replace flour and other gluten-containing products.
But there is a third reason. This is the so-called gluten-free diet. Refusal of dishes containing flour, according to many, improves the condition of the body. People who adhere to such a diet claim that it not only helps to lose excess weight, but also has a beneficial effect on digestion and cleanses of waste and toxins. However, nutritionists doubt this; in their opinion, this effect is not achieved by avoiding gluten.
Possible substitutes
Many housewives find it difficult to immediately name what can replace flour in baking. The simplest answer is rice, buckwheat, corn or oatmeal, although there are other, more exotic ingredients. Semolina and starch are other popular products that can replace wheat flour (however, if we are talking about an allergy to wheat, there is no point in replacing flour with semolina). Many housewives believe that muffins, cakes and buns with such ingredients turn out much tastier.
Rice flour
This product is made from unpolished rice and comes in two types: white from white varieties and brown from brown varieties. It's surprising that this flour hasn't become a popular ingredient because it's so versatile. You can use it to thicken soup or bake a pie. However, there are a couple of tips. Although rice flour is similar in texture to wheat flour, it is better to mix it with other types in baking.
Among the beneficial properties, one can highlight the rich content of fiber and protein, which greatly facilitates digestion.
Buckwheat flour
Another product that can replace wheat flour. It is made from unroasted buckwheat. It has a very bright nutty aroma that will decorate any baked goods. However, the smell and taste of flour can overwhelm the other ingredients. Therefore, before preparing it, you should make sure that using this product will not cause harm in the end. To avoid an unpleasant taste in the finished dish, it is recommended to mix buckwheat flour with other types, such as rice.
The beneficial properties of this product are its richness in protein, fiber and calcium, which also has a beneficial effect on the entire gastrointestinal tract.
Almond flour
This product has recently become popular thanks to the new fashion for French cookies called "macarons". They are made from egg white, sugar and almond flour, of course, which gives a pleasant taste and the effect of a melted snowflake on the tongue. This ingredient is ideal for baking and, of course, cookies, but it is important to remember that it absorbs liquid slightly differently, so problems may arise. You will have to either reduce the amount of water/milk in the recipe, or use those that originally contain almond flour.
This product is much easier for the body to digest and contains many vitamins, minerals and fats, so it is as healthy as a handful of whole almonds.
What else can you replace flour with?
There are other analogues to this product. Firstly, in some cases, flour can be replaced with different types of starch. Potato absorbs more moisture, making the dish airy. Corn starch has the same properties, only it has a more pleasant taste than potato starch, so the baked goods are not so bland.
Secondly, you can replace flour with semolina. However, this cannot be done completely because it is not sticky enough. But you can mix it with other types of flour in certain proportions.
In addition to the usual ingredients, you can also find somewhat exotic substitutes. For example, from hazelnuts, from chia grains, from quinoa and other varieties. It is also often recommended to use oat flour, but it is worth paying attention to the fact that the product may contain a small amount of gluten due to cross-pollination with cereals.
Almond flour or powder is, of course, not a recipe for some kind of complete dish; it is not eaten with spoons, but without this very flour it is often simply impossible to prepare many delicious desserts, especially French ones. Some people have been dreaming of making macaroni cakes for a long time, but the lack of flour makes this process simply unrealistic. Of course, you can buy almond flour in the store, I often do this myself, but for some this becomes a serious obstacle for the simple reason that in our stores it is not the most popular product, and, I would even say, on the contrary, And you can’t order on the Internet everywhere either. So I decided to tell you that preparing this flour at home is not so difficult, and by following all the instructions carefully, you can get a really high-quality product. And then the desired pasta will become even closer!Cooking time: 15 minutes
Almond drying time: 30 minutes
Cooking method:
The only ingredient for making almond flour is, of course, almonds. We just take dried, not fried. It must be of good quality so that the resulting flour is adequate.
The first step is to peel the almonds. To do this, throw it into boiling water and keep it there for literally a minute. After this, place it on a board or countertop and lightly dry it with a paper towel. Almonds are very easy to peel. Just press on the skin and the kernels will jump out on their own.
Place the peeled almonds in some form or baking tray so that they cover the bottom in just one layer. If necessary, dry it further with a paper towel and place it in the oven preheated to 80°C. The almonds will dry for 30-40 minutes. During the process, it needs to be stirred well every 7-10 minutes so that it dries evenly.
Let the well-dried almonds cool completely. Now it needs to be crushed. The easiest way to do this is with a good blender (some people use a coffee grinder, but somehow it didn’t work out for me - the almonds are crushed too aggressively and immediately begin to produce oil). The blender blades should be very sharp and close to the bottom so that you don't have to mix in the almonds. Of course, there is no talk about immersion blenders here - you need to grind in a glass. It is absolutely ideal if the blender has a pulse mode, since it is better to grind almonds in short intervals, but at high speed. Some people recommend putting the almonds in the freezer to cool them down a bit - this also prevents the almonds from releasing oil. I've gotten by without this, but if there is a problem, perhaps this method will help solve it.
So, put the almonds in the blender and in short bursts, 5-7 seconds each, begin to grind. Scroll and stop, scroll and stop. As soon as you see that the bulk has already turned into a fine powder, stop and sift the first batch. We put the remaining uncrushed pieces back into the blender and follow the same procedure. The main thing here is to stop in time, since the almonds, having turned into powder, can very quickly begin to give off oil, become wet and sticky, and in this form they can no longer be used for the same pasta. At the end, we also sift the resulting powder, freeing it from small unground particles.
As a result, some part of the waste will still remain - not completely crushed pieces, small ones, but it’s better not to add them to pasta; to many other desserts - no problem.
Total per 100 grams of almonds. 7-8% of the weight goes away with the skin. Another 10% is the so-called defect. And the result is 80-85 grams of almond flour of good enough quality to make the same pasta from it. And here it’s up to you to decide whether to buy it or make it at home, comparing the price of almond flour, which you can buy in a store, and for whole almonds, well, adding your time and some kind of labor. As I already said, you can easily make a mistake here - not drying it completely, grinding it. And although the process seems not at all complicated, it requires some attention.
In an airtight package, flour can be stored for up to 2-3 months, in a simply closed jar or container not so long - 2-4 weeks. It still depends on humidity, temperature - all these factors greatly affect shelf life. I never make large quantities of flour in advance - fresh has better taste and quality. If stored for a long time under unfavorable conditions, the flour may become damp and rancid. If you have questions, do not hesitate to write in the comments, you can leave your additions there.
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