Preparation   To shell: break shell with nutcracker or hammer. Break paper-shells with hands, extract kernel or double kernel, which is the almond meat, and discard the shell. The almond kernel has a tight, brown skin. The almond can be chopped or ground with the brown skin, as used in Linzer torte and spiced cookies, or used whole for parching and certain confections, as praline. For all other purposes the almond kernel is scalded to remove the brown skin. Scalded almonds are also called blanched almonds. Almond sprouts add an almond flavor to many recipes that almond meats may be used for and can be added to salads as a tasty change to the more traditional sprouts.

To blanch: pour boiling water over almonds and let stand for 2 minutes. Drain, cover with cold water and squeeze white almond out of the brown skin with the fingers. Blanched almonds are used whole, chopped, shaved, slivered and ground. They can be ground in a regular nut grinder or in an imported Scandinavian or European almond grinder which grinds them as fine as flour. Almond flour is used for finest cookies and small pastries.

.