I used almond paste for the first time this weekend. It was this modest, old-fashioned looking little can I found on the baking aisle, so I had one of those sticker-shock moments when it rang up at five dollars. I'm not cheap, I just had a limited amount of cash on me and it was sitting there next to the 99 cent packages of sugar, so . . . I sound so naive.

I even pulled out my food processor for this one, and mixed 1 stick butter with 1/4 cup almond paste until smooth, then added 1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, then combined. Dropped 4 egg yolks (I freeze the whites) and 2 whole eggs, one at a time, through the tube while the processor was running. Added 1/4 cup sour cream and processed to combine.

In a large bowl I mixed 1/2 cup each cornmeal and cake flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder, then added the mixture from the food processor and folded it all in together. Baked it in a buttered and floured 9-inch round cake pan, 350 degree oven, for I think 30 minutes, until the top was golden and the sides were pulling away from the pan. It actually wouldn't come out of the pan so I just left it in there and cut slices straight out of it (the buttered-floured pan never works for me). Great light texture, with a little of that cornmeal graininess, and the scent of almonds. It was best warm, but good even after it had cooled off.

Now I have about 1/2 cup of the almond paste left to try in something new.