Ground Almond Alternatives?

[TwoIfBySea]

So I developed an annoying allergy to almonds a few years back (also walnuts which annoys me even more as I love them!) I can eat other nuts - haven't had any reaction to anything other than those two.

When it states ground almonds on a recipe what can I use instead?

Asked this elsewhere and someone suggested flour and almond essence which doesn't help as I don't want to risk using the essence even if in small amounts!

All advice greatly appreciated :)

Flour.

For flavouring, it would depend on recipe.

eg an almond cake wouldn't be an almond cake without er almonds.

But you could make a pistachio cake.

What you'll need is a really effective grinder to get whole nuts really fine.

Tafferine, I'd avoid anything that said almond in the title, it is easy to avoid flaked almonds but if it was an almond cake then not in this house! I'm just glad it is only almonds and walnuts as I love nuts as well.

Pistachio cake does sound lovely though!

Ground hazelnuts.

I agree with zilly that ground hazelnuts will have the same texture and give the same nutty flavour. Does depend on the recipe though- hazels are fab in chocolate cake, less so with stoned fruit, where you really want that almondy note.

Although plum crumble with hazelnut in the topping would work.

Oh thankjs, Helly, I'm not an expert and those are good tips

Thanks Helly! It is mostly cake recipes I find a problem.

How about rice flour? I've used that when making chicken korma for my nut allergic friend.

My DS has nut allergy, I have used semolina in a cake instead of ground almonds as it gives pretty much the same texture. That was in a devils food cake, which has a strong chocolate flavour anyway.

I use ground rice and almond essence for recipes like bakewell tart or frangipan.
I believe 'cheap' almond essence has never been anywhere near an almond and nobody has shown any allergic reactions to it. (V V allergic DM).

apols, but someone mentioned good nut grinder

can anyone recommend a good nut grinder? Am deathly bored of ground almonds (coeliac, so this is a Baking Staple) and would love to try recipes with hazelnuts- can't find 'em in the shops (well, not finely ground, any road)

rice flour, semolina, polenta.

THe krups coffee grinder would be excellent for grinding nuts. I use mine for spices, and it really gets every last bit and I get a fine powder from it. You would have to do it in fairly small batches, but it would work.

this is the one I have.

That's probably true about cheap almond essence! I'll give the others a try for sure.

thanks for the linky, Chops

Look for cheap almond flavouring not almond essence - should be able to find something suitably artificial synthetic

Dr Oeker do a natural flavouring and a just almond flavour. The natural flavouring has the nut warning, the "almond" flavour does not have the nut warning.

We've had a Moulinex grinder for many, many years and it's brilliant; I use it almost every day.