Almond Paste

• Almond paste has a doughy texture similar to marzipan, but is slightly more malleable so it can be made into decorative shapes. Almond paste serves as a filling in baked goods, specifically cookies, candies, cakes and pastries. Many European delicacies call for this ingredient.

Almond Butter

• Almond butter ground from whole almonds has an oily, gritty texture and may have added salt. Raw almond butter, as the name suggests, means the nuts are not toasted before processing. Because it does not include the sugar and glycerin of almond paste, it lacks a pliable texture. It also has a more pure "nut" flavor than paste. If you substitute almond butter for almond paste, the texture of your baked goods and the flavor will be off.

Adequate Substitutes

• You are better off using sweeter marzipan rather than almond butter as a substitute for almond paste. Marzipan is just a bit more pliable and smoother in texture than almond paste, but the flavors are similar. If you can't find almond paste or marzipan, make your own by combining blanched almonds, confectioners' sugar, egg white and almond extract in a food processor. Avoid using canned almond filling, which is a combination of sugar, corn syrup, milk, corn starch, flavoring and ground almonds. It is very sweet and has a significantly different texture.

Considerations

• You may be loath to invest in a whole tube or can of almond paste when your recipe calls for just a small bit. Know that purchased almond paste keeps almost indefinitely. If it becomes hard, moisten it with just a bit of water. Some recipes, such as those for the Italian amaretti cookie, call for bitter almond paste. This version is flavored with the oil of a special type of almond. If you cannot find bitter almond paste, regular almond paste will do -- but the flavor may not be as authentic.