Can I make Banket bars without eggs in almond paste? | Ask Nigella.com

Our response

Nigella’s Banket Bars are puff pastry bites filled with soft almond paste, a bit like a sweet version of a sausage roll. They are based on the Dutch specialty banketstaaf, which are traditionally shaped into wreaths, long logs or even letters.

Nigelle suggests a store-bought pure butter puff pastry, but you can also buy vegan puff pastry and obviously if it’s frozen, defrost it following the package directions before using. Nigelle uses homemade almond paste, but mentions in the introduction that it is possible to also use store-bought almond paste. Commercial almond paste is usually made with glucose syrup and without eggs, so it should be suitable for a vegan. However, almond paste is not the same thing as marzipan, although the terms are used interchangeably in the UK. Almond paste is sweeter and contains more almonds and less sugar than almond paste. UK supermarkets don’t often have marzipan in store, but you should be able to buy it in cake decorating stores and it is certainly available online. Odense is probably the most well-known brand, but other brands are available and just as good.