Re 8913 above: more on ground nuts

shaun-in-to

Well-known member
I asked a cookbook author who uses a lot of ground nuts in her Italian desserts what the texture should be. I've always ground my own, using the smaller of two disks on an old hand-crank model. When I recently made her torta Caprese, the nuts had a certain chewiness or mealiness -- you knew they were there, and I wasn't sure that was what she'd intended.

She says the nuts should be finely ground like a flour. She recommends using a food processor but adding a bit of sugar (about 10% of what's called for in the recipe) to avoid making a nut butter.

I was in a good-quality Italian bulk store this morning, and their ground almonds were also fine, almost like flour, same as the supermarket packets, but those tend to be dry and flavourless.

Of course in many things it wouldn't really matter, like many cookies, or a tart pastry, and her almond macaroons, where I think the texture of the nuts is preferable. Now I'll have to make ANOTHER torta Caprese, just to see what the difference is. Isn't life hard ...

 
How timely. I was just buying nuts for the Florentines, both recipes. I ended up buying an

assortment of different grinds because I am getting lazy.

I know for the Florentines in the past, I have ground slivered almonds in the Cuisinart, just until they are the way you described. I find them perfect for this use. BUt such a thing does not exist in advance.

Same as for Richard's version. I always bring ground hazelnuts from FRance as I like them in meringues and they are a lot of work to toast, skin and the grind. BUt for this one, I'm going to try combining slivered hazelnuts plus some of the ground. (I hope Richard doesn't read this as his recipe sounds so specific) (but I did buy Normandy 'style' butter....Richard...if you do read this.)

 
Perfect timing for my question. Found this recipe at Mimi's cookie site (see link)

and stopped at the store to buy more pecans.

They have pecan halves, pecan pieces and pecan meal (very fine, but definitely not a flour---almost like the nut crumbs you get when you sieve nuts or the remains at the bottom of the bag.)

So, what should I use for this recipe? Grind up some of the pecan pieces with my KA grinder?? Or use the pecan meal?

http://christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe26.judysnutballcookies.html

 
I remember these from the good old days. Definitely, pecan meal. I think

pecans are too oily to try grinding yourself and I would use whatever is already done for you.

Okay...where's Mimi???

 
The nuts in Kardish's florentines were chopped, they were bits like a fine dice, not ground. I'd

use a knife, not a processor. I'll have to try both ways. (I can already tell this will be the Christmas I start getting fat.)

 
Marilyn, that's one of my very favorite recipes in the WHOLE UNIVERSE

It's from my Aunt Judy, who tells me she's had that recipe so long she doesn't remember where it came from. You'll have to tell me if you liked it. I can't answer your question because I've never even set eyes on pecan meal. I have always either used a vintage bell-shaped chopper in a wooden bowl (takes forever) or whizzed the pecans around in a food processor (being careful not to turn them to butter). I always put more powdered sugar on the cookies after they're baked.

 
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