Almond Wisdom for Pastry Chefs

Culinary Institute of America baking and pastry instructor Aaron Brown has deep experience working with almonds in every format.

"For me, they're are an easy sell," says Brown. "People are familiar with the flavor and texture. So it's a great nut to experiment with, because you don't have that merchandising hill to climb."

A few tips from chef Brown:

Pastries: "What holds baked goods together is gluten. The downside of gluten is that it makes things tough. In a cake or a cake or a scone, if you can use almond flour for some of that wheat flour—say, 30 percent—you will get a more tender product."

Breads: "In breads, where we often use oils, you can use almond oil. It adds an identifiable flavor. If you're using chopped almonds in bread, keep the skin on. You'll get some really nice visuals when you slice into the loaf and see those little flecks of almond skin."

Tart crusts: "Pie crusts depend on the trapped moisture in butter to make them flaky, but the dough for a tart shell is completely combined. So almond meal works well in a tart shell; you get that tenderizing effect."

Cookies: "Almond paste is a very good replacement for butter. It's already high in fat, so it can do a nice job of creaming. In a cookie batter with almond paste, pull out about a third of the butter. Cream the almond paste and remaining butter, then add the sugar."