Take a pound of sweet almonds, blanch them in boiling water; take off the peel, and let them soak in cold water four hours, then pound them well in a mortar; add a little water to prevent them from turning to oil; after they are very fine and quite in a paste, put in three-quarters of a pound of sugar well pounded, and mix all together in the mortar. If your paste is quite fine, take it out of the mortar, put it into a stewpan over a slow fire, and stir it with a wooden spoon till it becomes white and dry; then put it again into the mortar, and mix with it a little melted gum that has been strained through a towel; take care to keep it covered, to prevent it drying. You may give what scent you please, as lemon, vanilla, rose, orange, etc. etc. If you use almond-paste to make vases, baskets, or tartlets, keep it always free from dust, spread it on a marble with a rolling-pin as thin as possible, and if you put it into a mould, butter the mould lightly, and give the paste the form of it. Bake in a moderate oven.

Almond-paste should always be kept in a gallipot, covered with a damp towel to prevent its drying.