Consumers are going nuts for nut-filled bakery products. Functional, flavorful, healthful and visually appealing, nuts transform an ordinary baked product into one that stands out on the supermarket shelf.

“Research shows consumers have a positive perception of a product that contains almonds compared to the same product without almonds,” says Priscilla Martel, culinary director, American Almond Products, Brooklyn, N.Y. When bakers add nuts to baked products they also are adding perceived value without having to change formulation.

One reason for the nut preference is that consumers continue to seek natural foods with high fiber and heart-health benefits, a trend nuts fit into easily. “Nuts offer good fat and good fiber in an all-natural package,” Martel says. Consumers also want foods with an upscale appeal, and nuts have been shown to add a gourmet feeling to baked products.

From a baker's perspective, nuts add texture and flavor, work in gluten-free formulas and provide satiety, which helps consumers feel fuller longer. In addition, nuts work well in combination with trendy superfruits, as seen in popular combos, such as blueberry-almond and cranberry-walnut, Martel adds.

The FDA approved a health claim for nuts and nut products in 2003. The claim reads: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 oz. per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.” The claim applies to almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. To qualify for the claim, food products must contain at least 11 grams of nuts, less than 13 grams of total fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 60 mg of cholesterol and 480 mg of sodium per RACC (reference amount customarily consumed). Even if a baked product doesn't qualify for the health claim, word about the healthful properties of nuts is leading consumers to seek out nut-containing products.

ALMONDS

A heart-healthy diet that includes almonds has been shown in scientific studies to reduce LDL cholesterol and help control diabetes, Martel says. Almonds contain monosaturated fats and polyphenols, which are known to deliver antioxidant benefits; and are high in vitamin A, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and fiber. In addition, almonds offer visual appeal. Almonds especially add value to baked products when consumers can see that the almonds are present, notes Klaus Tenbergen, assistant professor culinary science, College of Agricultural Science and Technology, California State University, Fresno. When he created a pizza for the Almond Board of California (ABC) at the American Retail Bakery Expo show last fall, in addition to using almond flour and flakes, he also decorated the top with whole almonds.

Almond uses in baking are plentiful. Whole blanched almonds work well as a garnish, and can be easily ground for pastes or thickening. Sliced blanched almonds can be sprinkled on muffins or iced desserts. Diced blanched almonds are ideal for decorating the sides of a cake. Diced natural almonds can be incorporated into whole grain bread dough. Ground blanched almonds can be used for coatings, or when making almond butter or marzipan, according to ABC.

Green almonds are often used as a decoration because of their visual appeal and are considered a delicacy as they are only available from late April to early May. Green almonds have a soft, green fuzzy hull, and inside the hull, the almond is white with a gelatinous texture, similar to a firm grape. Green almonds are used as a coloring paste on pastries in Europe. Their flavor has been described as delicate, grassy and fruity, ABC notes.

On a functional level, almonds replace added fat and work as a binding agent in formulations. “Almonds ground very finely, such as for meal or flour, absorb some of the free moisture in a formula, so they add a functional creamy texture to a filling,” Martel says. Almond meal is courser than flour, which also is ground differently and sifted. Both almond meal and almond flour add moisture to a cake and preserve shelf life due to the high percentage of oil. Almond meal is the same base used as a filling for fragipane that can be used in a bear claw or fragipane pear tart.

One of the trendiest uses for almond flour is in gluten-free applications. When working on a gluten-free formula, bakers don't have the benefit of wheat flour to create a chewy texture, so they need to use a gum or starch, says Martel. Almonds not only bind some of the moisture in the formula, but add a natural crunchy texture, which keeps a product from being overly gummy, she notes. Almond flour does not have a gluten-forming protein, so it cannot provide structure. “It can be substituted starting with a 30 percent substitution level for some of the wheat flour in a product. The other portion would need to be replaced with another type of flour, such as buckwheat,” she adds.

Almond paste is most commonly found in almond macaroons and increasingly is used to make creams and custards for baked products. Middle Eastern pastries containing nut pastes, such as the Egyptian mamoul, a butter cookie with a nut paste center, are growing in popularity. Many nut-filled pastries, such as baklava, already are being sold in in-store bakeries, a sign that there is more room in the market for such products. Almond paste also can be added to a fruit pie, as a layer between the fruit and the crust as both a moisture barrier and for flavor, Martel says. Almond paste can be used in pie crust at about 10 percent flour weight, adds Tenbergen.

It also can be used as a topping. “There are many cakes that require an almond paste as a topping before applying the final coat onto a cake, such as the Sachertorte, a famous chocolate cake made by the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria,” notes Tenbergen. “Many people use a layer of almond paste on top of the cake before they apply the apricot jam as a final touch to prevent the layers from drying out and give additional taste to the whole.”