Apricot Almond Linzertorte Food

APRICOT ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour, almonds, baking powder and salt; gradually fold into egg mixture alternately with the whipped cream., Transfer to two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and salt until smooth. Beat in extract. Fold in whipped cream., Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer; spread with half the preserves. Repeat layers. Frost sides of cake; decorate the top edge with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with almonds.

APRICOT ALMOND LINZERTORTE

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Pulse toasted almonds and sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves into a bowl, then add to ground nuts in processor and pulse to combine.
• Lightly beat yolks, extracts, and zest in a small bowl with a fork. Add to food processor along with butter, then pulse until dough forms a ball. Form one third of dough into a disk, then roll out between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 10-inch round. Transfer to a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 12-inch round, then transfer to another baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Make filling:
• Simmer water, sugar, brandy, and apricots in a small saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apricots are tender and liquid is syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer mixture to cleaned food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Spread mixture onto a plate and chill 15 minutes.
• Bake torte:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Remove bottom of springform pan and invert, then lock on side. Remove larger dough round from refrigerator and peel off top layer of plastic wrap, then invert round into pan (pastry will break in spots). Press dough evenly onto bottom, then discard plastic. Fold in edge of dough and press 1/2 inch up side of pan (side will be thicker than bottom). Press gently to close any cracks.
• Bake pastry until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, then cool completely on a rack, about 30 minutes. (Dough will puff up as it bakes but will settle as it cools.)
• Spread filling into crust with an offset spatula or back of a spoon.
• Peel top layer of plastic wrap from smaller dough round, then cut round into 1/2-inch-wide strips. (Chill strips again if necessary.) Arrange half of strips over filling about 1 inch apart, pressing ends onto edge of torte. Arrange remaining strips across first strips to form a simple lattice. Press edges together with your fingertips.
• Bake until top is browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Before serving, remove side of pan and dust edge of torte with confectioners sugar.

APRICOT AND ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170°C Brush a shallow loose-bottom tart tin with some of the melted butter.
• Blend the almond base ingredients together in a mixer or food processor until smooth and creamy. Spread out evenly in the tin.
• Arrange the apricots on top, cut-side up, and sprinkle the top with the almonds.
• Sprinkle the remaining melted butter on top of the almonds, then sprinkle on the sugar.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes until the base is risen and cooked. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before removing.

ALMOND APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• To make the frangipane, place the almonds and the sugar in a food processor and grind until sandy. Add the butter and continue mixing then add the egg, vanilla, and the flour and mix until smooth.
• To make the tart, on a floured work surface pass your rolling pin over the pastry just to flatten any ridges.
• Place it on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and cut out a 9-inch disk. Spread the almond frangipane in the center of the tart leaving a 1-inch border. Firmly place the apricot halves into the frangipane spacing them evenly around the tart. Dot the spaces between the apricots with the whole almonds.
• Bake until golden brown on the top and puffy, about 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

STRAWBERRY AND APRICOT LINZERTORTE HEARTS

Steps:

• In a food processor pulse almonds with granulated sugar until chopped fine. Add confectioners' sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, zest, and salt and pulse until combined well. Add butter and pulse until combined. Add whole egg and yolk and pulse until dough just holds together. Divide dough into fourths and form into disks (dough will be sticky). Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 325° F.
• Roll out 1 dough disk (keeping remaining disks chilled) between sheets of wax paper into a 1/4-inch-thick round (10 to 11 inches in diameter) and freeze between wax paper on a tray until very firm, about 10 minutes. Roll out and freeze remaining 3 dough disks in same manner.
• Remove top sheet of paper from 1 round and with a 3 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter cut out hearts, chilling scraps. (If dough becomes too soft to work with at any time, freeze on wax paper until very firm.) With a 1-inch heart-shaped cutter cut and lift out centers (making 2 additional decorative heart cutouts in some cookies) from half of large hearts.
• Arrange whole hearts and cut-out hearts 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are pale golden. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. (Cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.) With a spatula carefully transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining 3 dough rounds and scraps in same manner.
• On a work surface arrange whole hearts, bottoms down. Drop 1 teaspoon of either jam on each cookie, spreading almost to edges, and top with cut-out hearts. Spoon some remaining jam into centers. Cookies may be made 4 days ahead and chilled between layers of wax paper in an airtight container. Bring cookies to room temperature before serving.

APRICOT ALMOND TARTLETS

Steps:

• To make dough, in the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, and orange zest together until just blended.
• Scatter butter over flour mixture and pulse until mixture has the consistency of cornmeal.
• While pulsing, pour egg white through feed tube.
• Process until dough forms a ball.
• Transfer to a lightly floured surface and, with the heel of your hand, press dough together until it is smooth and cohesive.
• Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350° degrees F.
• Have a 12-well mini-tart plaque nearby.
• Use 1 level tablespoon of dough for each tartlet.
• Roll dough between your palms to form a smooth ball.
• With index finger, press center of dough ball into well, then press dough up the sides to distribute evenly.
• To make almond filling, in the bowl of a food processor, pulse almond paste, butter, confectioners' sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and orange zest together until smooth.
• Spoon about 2 level tablespoons of filling into each shell.
• (I just use a heaping tablespoon) Then spoon about 1/2 teaspoon apricot preserves in the center of each filled tartlet.
• Bake until filling and edges of crusts are golden, 22-25 minutes.
• Transfer plaque to a wire rack and cool about 10 minutes, then remove tartlets and place on rack to cool completely.
• Repeat with remaining dough, filling and preserves.
• Before serving sprinkle tartlets with confectioners sugar.

LINZERTORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast, stirring occasionally, until skins begin to split, about 15 minutes. Immediately rub hazelnuts vigorously in a clean kitchen towel to remove skins (as much as will come off easily). Let cool.
• In a food processor, pulse hazelnuts and almonds until finely ground. (Be careful not to overprocess; you don't want the mixture to become a paste.) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nut mixture; set aside.
• In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and beat 1 minute to combine. With mixer on low speed, add ground nuts and flour mixture all at once.
• Divide dough in half. Set a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using your fingers, press 1 dough half into tart pan. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, roll remaining dough half between 2 sheets of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour to a 12-inch round; place on a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Using an offset spatula, spread jam evenly over chilled dough in tart pan; set aside. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut 3/4-inch-wide strips from chilled round of dough. Arrange strips on top of jam in a lattice pattern. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until torte is golden brown all over, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Remove ring and cool torte completely. Torte can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, dust with confectioners' sugar, if using.

APRICOT ALMOND GALETTE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll out pie crust onto a baking sheet.
• Toss the quartered apricots with the white sugar in a bowl. Mix almond meal, confectioners' sugar, and egg together in another bowl to create a paste. Spread almond paste on the center of the pie crust, leaving 1/2 inch of bare crust all around the edge. Arrange the sugared apricots over the almond paste. Fold the 1/2-inch bare edge of the crust inward over the almond paste and apricots, leaving the center of the tart uncovered. Crimp the edge down with a fork as you go around the tart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Brush the melted apricot jam over the hot galette. Slice and serve.

CRANBERRY LINZER TORTE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat to a brisk simmer and stir frequently, until cranberries burst. Continue cooking, mashing fruit a bit with the back of a spoon, until thick as jam, about 30 minutes. Set aside. (Filling may be prepared in advance.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place hazelnuts and almonds on a baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes, until well browned. Rub skins off hazelnuts while still warm, discarding skins. Cool nuts, then grind finely in a food processor, adding 3 tablespoons of flour to keep them from becoming oily. (Nuts should have the texture of coarse cornmeal.) Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine butter, sugar, and lemon and orange zest. Beat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, mix together ground nuts, the rest of the flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture in three parts, mixing each time until it forms a slightly sticky dough.
• Divide dough into two pieces, one slightly bigger. Form larger piece into a ball, wrap and flatten to a 1-inch thickness. Form smaller piece into a rough rectangle, wrap and flatten to a 1-inch thickness about 4 by 5 inches. Chill 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 11-inch fluted French tart pan. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes. On floured parchment paper, roll the larger piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, dusting the top with flour as necessary. If dough is difficult to handle, chill again. Pat evenly into pan until sides and bottom are completely lined with dough about 1/8-inch thick. Refrigerate or freeze tart shell until firm.
• Roll out smaller piece of dough on floured parchment paper to rectangle about 10 by 12 inches and 1/8-inch thick. Cut into strips about 3/4 inch by 12 inches. Transfer parchment to a tray and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
• Spread cranberry jam evenly into shell. Lay strips across top in a lattice pattern. Form remaining dough scraps into a rope 1/2 inch in diameter and use it to encircle outer edge of tart. Score diagonally with the handle of a spoon or flute with fingers to make a border.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until jam is bubbling and pastry is lightly browned. Let cool, and dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve in small wedges.

LINZERTORTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add eggs and lemon zest; stir until mixture forms a ball. Divide into fourths. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until chilled. , Remove two portions of dough from refrigerator; press each into an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Spread 2/3 cup jam over each., Between two sheets of lightly floured waxed paper, roll one portion of remaining dough into a 10x6-in. rectangle. Cut six 1-in.-wide strips; arrange in a lattice design over jam. Repeat with remaining dough (return dough to the refrigerator if needed). , Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and crust is browned. Cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.