First, don’t use a food processor. Use an “almond mill” (Mandelmuehle) – one of those hand crank nut mills are great for keeping kids busy. :) The mill will shave off the almonds instead of mashing them. Milling retains the oils in the almond shavings instead of pressing it out.

I mix roughly 2:1 of milled almonds to confectioner’s sugar in a sauce pan. I add 1 tablespoon of Rosewater (or other flavoring) per 150g of milled almonds (2T of rosewater is too much – less is better). Use water instead if you don’t want the flavoring. I add *another* 1T or 2T of water if the almonds are very dry. I typically grind the almonds right after blanching them and letting them sit on a paper towel to drip dry before milling them.

I mix everything first in the sauce pan, then apply moderate heat while continuing to stir until the mass sticks in one ball. The trick is to heat the mixture enough to draw the oil out of the almonds while stirring. Too much heat will evaporate too much moisture causing the paste to get crumbly. Try to rescue by adding more water again after turning off the heat and then let it sit in a cool place (‘fridge) for a day or two.

Thanks to my dad (born and raised in Germany) for the initial recipe and instructions. He’s an excellent baker and loves baking/cooking.