French Powdered Almonds

My post about raw almonds ties in with my chocolate tarts with shortbread (& almond) crust,a family favorite that I will post soon; here they are to tempt you a little~

Almond is used here,in these almond croissants~

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or any one of these~

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Many French desserts, pastries, and of course French Macaroons are based on almonds and their powdered forms.  Also known as Amandes en poudre or poudre d’amandes.   They are made from raw almonds, and are ground very fine.  They really taste like almonds, quelle surprise, and I use them in various chocolate desserts and pastries, sometimes when just flour is called for, and sometimes when almond extract is called for... 

France produces a small amount of almonds, about 10% of it’s national consumption.  50% of the world’s almonds come from California, but that is due to mechanisation, pesticides etc.  Spain and Greece also produce many of the world’s almonds.  Each trip to France I buy powdered almonds at the market in Beaune, to bring back to California.  You will find them at most French open markets, for sale by the 100 grammes.  I brought this sachet at a market in Paris..maybe the organic one on Raspail?~

In the U.S. you see recipes which call for Almond Flour, Ground Almonds etc.  This pile below is from a store which shall go un-named.  It includes the brown skins of the almonds, and the almonds were absolutely pasteurized or roasted prior.  Sorry, to me this tastes like sawdust, and I would not cook with it. 

If you want to make you own powdered almonds, try to find truly raw, unpasteurized almonds.  Use hot water to blanche them, to remove the skin.  If all else fails, find a friend going to France!   Foodies love a gift of a few powdered almonds from France!