During a recent pantry excavation, we unearthed two practically full bottles of almond extract, both of which had been purchased for some specific cake or cookie recipe and then forgotten. Clearly it was time to put it to use! Almond extract will never be an everyday flavoring, but we did come up with some ways to enjoy it more often.
• Oatmeal: We usually add vanilla to our oatmeal, so a drop of almond extract is a nice change of pace. It goes well with other oatmeal toppings like peaches, figs, dried cranberries, and raisins. We bet it would be great in oatmeal cookies, too.
• Rice: First we added almond extract to rice pudding – a delicious no-brainer – and then we experimented with steamed rice. Inspired by a Middle Eastern recipe, we cooked the rice with saffron, almonds, raisins, and almond extract. It was wonderfully fragrant!
• French toast: Again, almond extract is a good substitute for the usual vanilla extract. We prefer just a subtle boost of flavor – about 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract for 4 slices of bread, but you can add more, if you like.
• Fruit: We love baked apples and stewed fruits this time of year, and guess what – almond flavor goes well with just about all of them!
• Coffee: We haven't tried this one yet but have seen it mentioned online. Have you added almond extract to beverages?
Do you have any other suggestions?
Related: Good Product: McNess Ginger Extract
(Image: Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract from Fine Food Now)
Yuck: A Fourth Grader Reveals What School Lunches Really Look Like
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Floral Drink Dispen...
Where to Squeeze a Home Office into a Full House?
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
Pound cake.
Love the rice and oatmeal ideas. I've often substituted almond for vanilla extract when in the middle of a baking project and realized that I was out of the latter. In a pinch, they interchange nicely.
I add it to whipped cream instead of vanilla. I also use it to flavor boxes of white cake mix.
Its my secret ingredient for my banana cake.
I use a bit in vanilla cupcakes.
French toast turns out brilliantly with the almond extract. To make it even more decadent, coat the battered french toast with almond meal or slivered almonds...'
It does work well with coffee and whipped creams.
I did not read through the comments to see if someone else already suggested this, but it makes a nice addition to sugar cookies as well. Use the vanilla too, but a bit of almond extract added just rounds out the flavor nicely.
Funny this was posted because I literally just made chocolate chip cookies with almond extract instead of vanilla.
I love the flavor of almond in baked goods.
A glass of warm milk with almond extract and honey before bed...
ah...I do exactly the same thing as threecupsofcoffee...it's very yummy.
My husband always puts it in pancakes. And I love it in lemon yogurt cake.
Sometimes I add it to coffee grounds before brewing, along with a dash of cinnamon.
It's amazing in yogurt cake. I replace 1/4 of the flour with fine ground almonds (in the food processor or use commercial), and it is to die for. So rustic, so tasty!
I use it in almost any baked good that has vanilla- I just love almond desserts. I'll have to try it in coffee! Thanks for the idea!
Almond scones!
Make almond ice cream. I like to put it in with a little vanilla and if I'm feeling very decadent, crushed up amaretti cookies. You could also put crushed toasted almonds on top. Mmm...
How has no one suggested hot chocolate yet? :) I also agree with threecupsofcoffee regarding the warm milk and honey though.
A must in any cherry pie or cobbler. Makes a big difference to enhance the cherry flavor.
My heritage is Icelandic, and for special occasions we make a fantastic almond-flavored dessert called vinarterta ("Viennese torte"). It's a gorgeous, multilayered dessert made of a stewed, spiced prune filling and almond cookies. It's very easy to make, but looks impressive. Along with a cup of coffee, it's my favorite holiday breakfast.
Almond cookies, or in whipped cream or meringue. It's also nice in clafoutis.
I add it to tea, hot chocolate, or plain yogurt with a little sugar. it's also my standard flavoring for icing on sugar cookies.
I make buttercream frosting, and use almond extract instead of vanilla. People can't get enough of it.
I like a little bit in peach milkshakes, so yummy.
I like to use it in Mexican hot chocolate, along with vanilla it makes it really rich. It is great in coconut and chocolate cakes as well.
I put a little splash in a vanilla malt every so often, and often in my hot chocolate and coffee.
Last winter I got married and made my own wedding cake, used the Cooks Illustrated classic white layer cake recipe which calls for 2 teaspoons almond extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Excellent recipe, tastes better than any other white cake I've ever had!
I add half a teaspoon along with the vanilla in angel food cake.
Having been recently pregnant, I can say that almond extract in sweet and sour mix makes a lovely mock amaretto sour.
I like to add almond and vanilla to most baked items. The full amount of vanilla called for plus a very small amount (less than 1/4 tsp) of almond to boost it. I find that almond is very strong and can overpower, but a little bit of it is just so tasty and interesting.
I always add almond to my baked goods. Always. Frostings, cakes, cookies, you name it. I buy huge bottles of it I use it so much. Its way underrated in my opinion.
granola bars!