INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Place your blanched almonds in a food processor, cover the machine, and process at high speed until it develops a smooth consistency.  The consistency of the ground almonds should be similar to a coarse-grain flour. They do not need to be a fine powder, but you should not be able to see any noticeable chunks of almond. If you notice that the almonds are grounding unevenly in the food processor, pause it and stir with a spatula before starting the machine back up again. Use a blender if you do not have a food processor. Add the powdered sugar, egg white, almond extract, and salt to the food processor, along with the ground almonds. Cover the machine again and process at high speed until smooth and evenly blended.  Depending on the strength of your food processor, it could take 10 minutes or more before an actual paste forms. When you are finished processing the ingredients, a thick clay-like paste should form inside the machine. Scoop out the almond paste in 1/2 cup (125 ml) portions. Use your hands to shape these portions into balls or loaves. Center each portion in the middle of a sheet of plastic wrap and wrap the almond paste tightly. Place each wrapped portion into an airtight container and label it with the contents, amount, and date.  Labeling the container will make it easier to keep track of how long the almond paste has been in storage. You could simply use a covering of plastic wrap, or you could skip the plastic wrap and place the almond paste in a resealable plastic bag or plastic container. Doubling up is not necessary, but it does improve the freshness and longevity of the almond paste as time passes. You can either refrigerate or freeze almond paste. In the refrigerator, it should last for 1 month. In the freezer, it should last for 3 months. Butter is not an essential ingredient, but adding it into the almond paste can make the final product smoother and less sticky. Wait until you are ready to use the almond paste before kneading the butter in.  Soften the butter and cut it into small cubes. Roll out the almond paste and scatter the butter on top. Fold and knead the almond paste and butter to combine them. Stop once you can no longer see any visible traces of butter left behind.

SUMMARY: Ground the almonds using a food processor. Add the other ingredients. Divide the almond paste into portions. Wrap the almond paste in plastic wrap. Store it in cool temperatures. Knead the butter in before using it, if desired.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: For each cutting you plan to make, select a small branch attached to the outside base of the lavender plant. A young, bendable branch is required, or a branch growing horizontal just above the soil surface. There are several related methods of propagation referred to as "layering." This one is simple and low-risk, but can be labor-intensive if you plan to create more than a few cuttings. Refer to the tips below if you want to turn your lavender plant into dozens of new cuttings instead. Dig a 4–6 inch (10–15 cm) hole in the soil, a short distance from the mother plant. Position this hole so you can bend the middle of the selected branch down into it, with the leaves and flowers at the end above ground on the other side of the hole. Hold the branch in place with rocks or a bent stake to prevent it springing out of the hole. Bury the center of the branch in soil to fill the hole, leaving the flowering end above ground. Water the buried section occasionally, keeping it moist but not soggy. Take care not to let the soil dry out during hot summer months.  Watering is not recommended while the plant is dormant for the winter. Mulch can help the soil retain water, but may cause plants to overheat during hot weather. While you can begin this process any time, the branch may not develop a strong stem and roots until the growing season in spring and summer. After three or four months of growth, preferably as cool autumn weather begins, carefully dig around the buried branch to look for roots. If they are present and clumping the soil together, cut off the branch so all the roots are on the same piece as the flowering end. Move the cutting directly to its new location, moving the surrounding soil along with it to avoid damaging the roots. Keep the plant sheltered from wind until stronger roots develop, and care for it as you would any lavender plant.
Summary: Choose a small, young branch near the base of the lavender. Bury the middle of the branch in a shallow hole. Anchor the branch in place. Keep the buried branch moist. Dig up and cut the branch after at least three months of growing season. Transplant the cutting as a new lavender plant.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Place the yolks and the 6 tablespoons of sugar into a medium-sized metal mixing bowl. Whip them vigorously with a wire whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy. You may use an electric mixer instead. Put the 2 cups of milk and the vanilla bean into a small saucepan. Heat it over medium low heat until it's heated through to the point of scalding, but not boiling. Remove it from heat.  You can tell when the milk is scalded by watching the edges of the pan. When you see steam begin to rise where the milk touches the edge of the pan, it's time to remove it from heat. If you want a richer sauce, use 2 full cups of cream. For a less rich sauce, use only milk or one cup of milk and one cup of cream. Slowly pour the milk into the mixing bowl containing the sugar and egg mixture while whipping constantly with the wire whisk. Continue until the milk has been thoroughly blended with the sugar and egg mixture. Make sure the water in the bottom of the double boiler is simmering, and pour the egg, sugar and milk in the top part of the bain marie (or mixing bowl, if you made your own double boiler). Stir it constantly with a small rubber spatula. Do not let the sauce get too hot, as it can curdle. Keep stirring until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, then remove it from the heat.

SUMMARY:
Whip the sugar and the egg yolks. Heat the milk with the vanilla bean. Stir the scalded milk into the egg mixture. Pour the sauce into the bain marie. Heat the sauce slowly.