Almond Pastry Puff Food

ALMOND PUFF

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cut the 1/2 cup of margarine into the 1 cup of flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water one tablespoon at a time. Using your hands or a fork, stir until the dough can form a ball. Divide dough in half. Roll or press each half into a 12x3 inch rectangle. Place them 3 inches apart onto an unprepared cookie sheet.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a saucepan, bring the 1/2 cup of margarine, and 1 cup of water to a rolling boil. Lower heat and stir in the flour immediately with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir vigorously until the dough forms a tight ball. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs one at a time, then stir in the almond extract. Spread equally onto both rectangles. Bake for 10 minutes before lowering the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Continue to cook for 15 to 20 more minutes. The top should be crispy and brown.
• To make the glaze, beat the confectioners' sugar together with the melted butter and vanilla until smooth. Spread over the almond puff when cool, and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Cut into strips and serve.

ALMOND PASTRY PUFFS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour and salt; cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons cold water; stir with a fork until blended. Shape dough into a ball; divide in half. Place dough 3 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet; pat each into a 12x3-in. rectangle., In a large saucepan, bring remaining butter and water to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in extract and remaining flour until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. , Spread over rectangles. Bake at 400° until topping is lightly browned, 18-20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks., For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, water and extract; beat until smooth. Spread over pastries; sprinkle with almonds.

ALMOND DANISH PUFF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Cut 1/2 cup softened butter into 1 cup flour, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of coarse crumbs.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; mix with fork.
• Gather pastry into ball; divide in half.
• Pat each half into rectangle, 12x3 inches, about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Heat remaining 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil in 2-quart saucepan; remove from heat.
• Quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour.
• Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat.
• Add eggs; beat until smooth. Spread half of the topping over each rectangle.
• Bake about 1 hour or until topping is crisp and brown; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.
• Spread with Creamy Almond Glaze; sprinkle with almonds.
• Creamy Almond Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 2-3 tbsp butter, softened; 1/2 to 1 tsp almond extract; 1-2 tbsp warm water or milk.
• Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable and glaze the Danish puff.

SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND PUFF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Place 1 cup flour in bowl; cut in 1/2 cup butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2 tablespoons water with fork until flour mixture is just moistened. Shape dough into ball. Pat dough into 10-inch circle on ungreased baking sheet. Set aside.
• Combine 1 cup water and 1/2 cup butter in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until mixture comes to a full boil and butter is melted. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup flour and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball . Remove from heat.
• Add 1 egg at a time, beating with whisk or wooden spoon after each addition until smooth and glossy.
• Spread egg mixture over pastry circle. Bake 50-55 minutes or until surface is crisp and golden. Cool completely. (Topping rises during baking and shrinks during cooling, forming custard-like layer.)
• Combine powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in bowl until well mixed. Add enough milk for desired glazing consistency.
• Drizzle glaze over puff; sprinkle with almonds.

ALMOND PASTRY PUFF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
• Blitz the almonds in a food processor until nice and fine. With the processor still running, add the cream, icing sugar, 1 egg and a pinch of sea salt until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula, if needed.
• Halve the pastry, shape into two rounds and, working quickly, dusting with icing sugar as you go to stop the pastry sticking, roll out between two sheets of greaseproof paper until they're just under ½cm thick.
• Place one round on the lined tray. Spread the almond paste on top, leaving a 2cm gap at the edges. Put the other round on top and gently push together. Quickly seal the edges with the back of a fork. Eggwash the top, then dust over an extra layer of sugar.
• Gently push your finger into the middle of the pastry, then, with a sharp knife, very delicately make little lines from the centre to the outside.
• Bake on the bottom of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until puffed up and golden, dusting with a little extra icing sugar before dishing up.

ALMOND PUFF

Steps:

• In a bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water and toss with a fork. Shape dough into a ball. Pat into two 12-in. x 3-in. strips, drop 2 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Set aside. , In a large saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Spread over crusts, covering completely., Bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until puffed and light browned. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, extract and enough water to achieve spreading consistency. Spread over warm puffs. Sprinkle with almonds. Cut into 1-in. strips. Refrigerate leftovers.

PLUM & ALMOND PASTRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a very large rectangular baking sheet with baking parchment. Unravel the roll of pastry and carefully lift on top. Sprinkle over the ground almonds and scatter the plums to make an even layer. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds, then the sugar.
• Bake for 18-20 mins until the pastry is golden and the plums are tender. Allow to stand for 10 mins to cool a little, then sprinkle with a little more sugar and serve.

ALMOND PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Unroll 1 package of crescent rolls across the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
• (4 rectangles fit across the short way.) Press or stretch lightly to fit, and pinch perforations together to seal.
• Mix cream cheese, egg yolk, almond extract and sugar.
• Spread over 1st layer.
• Unroll 2nd package of crescent rolls and stretch to fit over the top.
• Slightly beat egg white and brush on top layer of crescent rolls.
• Sprinkle with additional sugar, then sliced almonds.
• Bake 20-25 minutes, till golden brown.
• Cool completely before cutting.

DANISH ALMOND PUFF

Steps:

• Place 1 cup of flour in a medium bowl. Mix in butter using a fork or a pastry blender. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over, and stir with a fork until dough comes together. Divide into two balls. Pat dough into two long strips on an ungreased baking sheet, about 14 inches long and 3 inches wide. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of butter and 1 cup of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and remove from the heat. Immediately stir in 1 cup of flour until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Gradually stir in the eggs until well blended. Divide evenly, and spread over the two crusts on the baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 1 hour. Allow to cool almost to room temperature before frosting.
• To make the frosting, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon of almond extract and a splash of milk in a small bowl until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the Danish, and decorate with candy sprinkles if desired.

FRUITY ALMOND PUFF PASTRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sheet of puff pastry in the center of a baking sheet fitted with parchment. Top the puff with another sheet of parchment. Place a baking sheet directly on top of the parchment on top of the puff pastry. This weighs down the puff as it bakes and makes it uniform.
• Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the puff pastry is partially cooked and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and take the baking sheet and top sheet of parchment off the pastry.
• While the pastry is baking, make the frangipane. In the bowl of the food processor, pulse the almonds until they become like a coarse, wet powder. Add the sugar, butter, flour, almond extract, cinnamon and egg and pulse until it forms a paste.
• Gently spread the frangipane in an even layer over the puff pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and place the baking sheet back in the center of the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake until the frangipane and pastry are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
• In a small pot, warm the jam over low heat until it melts slightly, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer the puff to a flat surface and use a serrated knife to gently cut into 9 even pieces. Arrange the pieces close together on a serving platter as if they make a whole tart. Drizzle some of the warmed jam over the top edges of the pastry and frangipane to create a "glue" for the raspberries to stick to the pastry. Arrange the raspberries over the top of each piece. Drizzle the remaining jam gently over the raspberries and finish with a sprinkle of sugar for added texture. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate the leftovers (if there are any!!).

ALMOND PASTRY PUFF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Blitz the almonds in a food processor until nice and fine. With the processor still running, add the cream, icing sugar, 1 egg and a pinch of sea salt until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula, if needed. Halve the pastry, shape into two rounds and, working quickly, dusting with icing sugar as you go to stop the pastry sticking, roll out between two sheets of greaseproof paper until they're just under ½cm thick. Place one round on the lined tray. Spread the almond paste on top, leaving a 2cm gap at the edges. Put the other round on top and gently push together. Quickly seal the edges with the back of a fork. Eggwash the top, then dust over an extra layer of sugar. Gently push your finger into the middle of the pastry, then, with a sharp knife, very delicately make little lines from the centre to the outside. Bake on the bottom of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until puffed up and golden, dusting with a little extra icing sugar before dishing up. CALORIES 443kcal FAT 29.2g SAT FAT 12.7g PROTEIN 8.9g CARBS 36.7g SUGAR 14.7g SALT 0.7 FIBRE 0.9g 5 Ingredients by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House ⓒ Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited Photographer: David Loftus