We needed 24 ounces of almond paste for a batch of Italian 7 layer cookies. We had a big bag of almonds, so I decided to try making it myself.
Blanching and peeling the almonds seemed like drudgery, but it really only took 15 minutes to slip the skins after a one minute blanch. Since some recipes included some water, I decided not to let the nuts dry overnight and only let them dry for about an hour.
The food processor made quick work of turning the almonds into flour and then into a paste after the sugar is added. Some almond extract for flavoring and some egg whites to bind it and it was ready for a recipe. It worked very well.
Except for adding extract, I generally followed
this recipeSome more sugar and a bit corn syrup and Marzipan should be the result. There are some other recipes out there that use corn syrup instead of egg whites to bind the paste and amount of almond extract ranges from none to a whole lot. I used 1½ for 12 ounces of almonds and it was not overpowering in the final recipe. Making it was about 1/3 the price of buying it.