The trick to baking with almond flour - 4 simple tips to turn your baking from good to great!

Not all almond flour is created equally. If you're experimenting with alternative flours and have purchased a bag of almond meal/flour but have no idea where to begin, you've come to the right place. We are experts in all things almonds and baking with almond flour is our specialty.

1. Mill matters - the particle size of the almond flour is the most important determinant on whether a recipe will or won't work out. Almonds are dense and heavy, and if they are coarsely milled, it will be harder for your special cakes or cookies to rise. Piccola Cucina's Almond Flour is very finely milled, perfect for the delicate French macaron, Italian Amaretti, or your favorite chocolate chip cookie. If the almond flour you have purchased is coarse its simple to fix, simply pop into a food processor and pulse until the flour becomes finer. Be careful not to hold down the on button for too long or you will turn your flour into almond butter.
2. Leavening - increase the amount of leavening agent used. Our preference is baking powder, as there are no affects to the taste as opposed to baking soda. Simply increase the amount of baking powder that your recipe calls for to accommodate the heavier almond flour. Start by doubling and see how your recipe turns out. You may need to experiment here.
3. Eggs and egg whites - if your recipe calls for eggs, try separating the yolks from the white and whipping the egg whites into a meringue. After you follow your recipe instructions and add egg yolks, simply fold the egg whites into your batter. The meringue will help the dense batter with a bit more lift and rise
4. Absorption - before you spoon out your cookies or pour your batter into cake molds, let the mixture sit 20-30 min. Allowing the mixture to sit and absorb the moisture will help to yield a more perfect finished product.

If all else fails be patient! Baking is scientific and any variation in the recipe can yield different results. It takes practice and writing down your findings will push you to perfection. Happy baking!

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