Spreadable creams - Paste and flour for pastry

Sweet spreads creams, almond and pistachio paste, flours and grains

Sicily boasts a highly respected culinary tradition, the result of the multiple dominations suffered by different peoples, and by the inevitable union between the creativity and the gluttony that Sicilians have always had. It is certainly not difficult to find sweet spreads with the most varied flavors, or grains and flours derived from nuts, but the difference in this case is the origin of the raw materials, their quality and the attention of the producers towards their transformation. In Sicily we have, among the many treasures of agriculture, the Avola almonds and the Bronte pistachio, real pearls of the territory and certainty of quality in the world. From these articles are born almond cream, pistachio cream, pistachio paste and almond paste, pistachio grain and almond grain, almond flour and pistachio flour, shown in this section.

How do you use pistachio paste and almond paste?

The spreadable creams are easily usable, either on a slice of bread, a biscuit, or as a filling for cakes and pies. Certainly, however, the originality of the pistachio cake and the almond cake are unique in the world and it is not always easy to find a culinary collocation in national, European and other world recipes. The pistachio paste and the almond paste are obtained from the transformation of the raw material, precisely the Sicilian almonds and Sicilian pistachios, ground and reduced to a paste with the addition of vanilla, aromas of almond or pistachio, water and sugar. The compound can also be eaten directly, although it is extremely sweet, but the main use is that of the production of Sicilian granitas, very fresh and refreshing pistachio or almond-flavored drinks, juices to be used instead of water for the dough of the bases of pastry, therefore, for example a short pastry with pistachio or almond, or granite.

It is enough to simply remove part of the dough in water and proceed with its use.

For the drinks, let the dough roll in water and leave to cool in the fridge. On hot summer days, they are excellent and refreshing.
For the granite, the same procedure, but let it solidify in the freezer, until the desired density (In Sicily, the granitas are eaten with 60% of ice)
For the pastry bases, dissolve the mixture in water and use the liquid obtained instead of the normal water to mix the flours used.

Of course, any use suggested by personal creativity is possible.