Marzipan and Frangipane

• Marzipan is a versatile confectionery made of ground blanched almonds, egg whites and sugar. It can be eaten as it is, used as a cake base or topping or shaped into little animals and other decorative themes with the addition of food coloring. In Scandinavia, more egg whites and sugar are added to make a softer paste that is lightly baked and then dipped in chocolate. Frangipane is a creamier version of marzipan that contains milk, butter and flour. Use it to fill baked figs or wrap it with dates in phyllo pastry to make petits fours.

Puddings and Fondants

• Traditional Christmas pudding combines ground almonds, blanched almonds, walnuts, dried fruits, spices and rum. Once the pudding has been steamed for five to eight hours, it can be stored for up to two years. Chocolate fondant is a more modern dessert that uses ground almonds, corn flour, sugar, eggs, butter and dark chocolate. Refrigerate the mixture prior to baking in order to obtain a set crust around a soft core. Serve warm with ice cream, vanilla sauce or whipped cream.

Cakes and Tarts

• While cakes may include both wheat flour and ground almonds, some recipes call for ground almonds alone or in combination with rice flour or cornstarch, which makes them popular for people affected by gluten intolerance. At its simplest, a cake such as Nigella Lawson’s clementine cake contains only clementines, eggs, sugar, ground almonds and baking powder. Rhubarb, lemon and almond cake is another gluten-free option. Bakewell tart is a classic British afternoon tea accompaniment made of shortcrust pastry filled with raspberry jam and a ground almond mixture.

Macaroons and Amaretti

• French-style macaroons -- or “macarons” as they are known in France -- allow you to unleash your creativity and come up with almost endless combinations of soft meringues and creamy fillings. The basic recipe entails ground almonds, powdered sugar and beaten egg whites, which can be enhanced with flavorings such as cocoa and fruit extracts, as well as food colorings. Popular fillings include chocolate ganache, pastry cream and fruit jam. Italian amaretti cookies are baked to a harder crisp and usually served with coffee.