Michelle Darmody: Different forms of almonds in baking

Almonds are a very versatile baking ingredient, they can be used in cakes, cookies, and in pastry as well as sprinkled over desserts or made into soft marzipan.

Their flavour tends to change depending on how the nuts are treated, slivered they are light and crisp in texture and flavour, but when ground almonds tend to take on more subtle notes. Toasting almonds in any form before using them intensifies their flavour and gives more colour and crunch.