Can I Make Banket Bars Without Eggs In The Almond Paste?

Our answer

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

Nigella suggests store-bought all-butter puff pastry, but you can also buy vegan puff pastry and obviously if it is frozen then defrost it, following the instructions on the packaging, before using. Nigella uses a home-made almond paste, but in the introduction mentions that it is possible to also use a store-bought almond paste. Commercial almond paste is usually made with glucose syrup and no eggs, so should be suitable for a vegan. However, almond paste is not the same as marzipan, though the terms are used interchangeably in the UK. Almond paste is softer and has more almonds and less sugar than marzipan. UK supermarkets don't often have almond paste in store, but you should be able to buy it from cake decorating stores and it is definitely available online. Odense is probably the best-known brand, but other brands are available and equally good.