Almond Cream Food

PUFF PASTRY TART FILLED WITH ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Purée almond paste, granulated sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until smooth. Add 1 egg, vanilla, and almond extract and purée until incorporated. Add flour and pulse until incorporated.
• Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet into an 11 1/2-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, then brush off excess flour from both sides. Cut out an 11-inch round by tracing around an inverted plate with tip of a paring knife. Transfer round to a buttered large baking sheet (not dark metal, or pastry may brown too much), discarding trimmings, and chill. Repeat procedure with second pastry sheet, leaving round on floured surface.
• Beat remaining egg with a fork and brush some over top of second round. Score round decoratively all over using tip of knife, then make several small slits all the way through pastry, at about 2-inch intervals, to create steam vents.
• Brush some of egg in a 1-inch-wide border around edge of chilled pastry round (on baking sheet). Mound almond cream in center of chilled round, spreading slightly, and bury bean in cream. Immediately cover with decorated round and press edges together lightly. Holding a small spoon with side at an angle, press around edge to seal galette decoratively.
• Bake galette in lower third of oven until puffed and pale golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Dust galette with confectioners sugar and bake in upper third of oven until edge is deep golden brown and shiny, 12 to 15 minutes more. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Sift confectioners sugar over cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at moderate speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in extract and milk until just incorporated (be careful not to overbeat, or mixture will become too loose).

ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• Place the almonds in a food processor and process to a fine meal.
• Combine the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy.
• Fold in the cream, brandy and then the almonds. Serve immediately.

ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, ground almonds, rum, almond extract, and flour; beat until smooth. Will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

FRANGIPANE: ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• When you are ready to use it, fill your pastries, tart, or tartlets and bake.

ALMOND ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook ½ cup sliced almonds with the sugar and the salt over medium heat until deeply golden and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reserve.
• In the same pot, toast 1 cup sliced almonds until deeply golden, about 5 minutes. Add cream, milk, sugar and salt to the pot and simmer until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.
• Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from heat and let steep 1 hour.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing down hard on the solids. Add almond extract to base and cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Break reserved caramelized nuts into pieces and add to base during the last 2 minutes of churning. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

ALMOND CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups half-and-half, the almond paste, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Whisk egg yolks, extract, and remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half in a medium bowl; add one-third of the hot half-and-half mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour into saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Stir in butter, several pieces at a time. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
• Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form. Fold into custard.

ALMOND CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the Crust:.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Place the sifted flour, salt and butter in a bowl and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture has an even, granular texture. Add the powdered sugar and blend. Sprinkle with the water, mix gently and gather together to form a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Butter a 20.5 cm (8 in.) tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Roll out the dough to a thickness of .5cm and place it over the pan without stretching. Press well into the bottom and up the sides, then roll the rolling pin firmly over the top to trim the excess. Prick with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.
• Prepare the filling:.
• In a saucepan over medium- low heat, make a roux by melting the butter and stirring in the flour with a wooden spoon. In a separate saucepan, bring the milk, salt and sugar to a boil.
• Add the hot milk to the roux a little at a time, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth. Continue whisking and cooking over low heat for 5 minutes, until thick.
• Remove from heat and add the egg yolks and powdered almonds, whisking briskly. Do not allow the filling to boil after the egg yolks are added, or it will separate.
• Pour the filling into the pre-cooked pie shell. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.