Todd and I are going to take a little trip into Wales today, a day trip as it were. We are supposed to be having a beautiful day weather-wise and it may well be one of the last few we get before the weather turns. You can never tell over here. I think it was Bob Hope who said about our weather . . . "Don't like the British weather? Wait five minutes!"
I recently bought a little booklet at the grocery store, entitled Delicious Pastries. I fear I have been in love with puff pastry my whole life, fueled by trips made to my French Grandmaman's home where we would feast on caramel filled puff pastry squares dolloped with thick sweet cream . . . mmmm . . . so good.
I don't generally make my own puff pastry. If you buy a good quality all butter brand, there is no need to do so. It's as good as any you can make. There was a recipe in the booklet that I had been eyeballing since I got it home for some delicious looking Sugar and Almond Pastries and I thought they would be perfect for our picnic.
As well, they appeared very quick and easy to make, and y'all know how lazy I am, lol. The filling is a very simple almond frangipane filling . . . rich with egg yolks, melted butter, sugar and almonds (of course!) Two different kinds, both ground and flaked.
You may think they look a bit strange and you would be right. I didn't seal the edges of my pastries well enough and they blew open as they baked, which isn't really as big a disaster as you might think . . . they just aren't very perfect looking, but I can assure you they taste fabulous all the same.
So why am I showing you them if they aren't perfect??? For several reasons. One . . . you need to know that not everything I touch turns to gold . . . and two . . . it's a sound recipe and They taste fabulous, no matter how they look. So there.
This is how they are supposed to look. ☺
*Sugar & Almond Pastries*
Makes 4 Printable Recipe
You can add a handful of sultanas or other chopped dried fruit to the almond filling if you wish. Just remember to dampen your edges well when you are folding them up.
For the filling:2 large free range egg yolks75g caster sugar (generous 1/3 cup, 6 1/2 TBS)pinch salt50g butter, melted (3 1/2 TBS)few drops almond essence75g ground almonds (14 TBS)50g flaked almonds (generous 1/2 cup)
250g of ready to roll puff pastry, all butter (about 1/2 pound)
You will also need:25g butter, melted (1 3/4 TBS)25g caster sugar (3 TBS)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together for the filling, until light and thick. Whisk in the salt. Whisk in the melted butter a bit at a time, along with the almond essence. Stir in the ground and flaked almonds gently. Set aside.
Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface to a square 12 inches by 12 inches in size. Cut into 4 equal squares (6 inches). Brush the outer edges with some cold water. Divide the almond mixture equally into four amounts, dolloping it into the center of each square. Bring up the corners of the pastry to the center to meet, covering the almond filling completely. Press the edges together firmly to seal.
Arrange the squares on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes, until golden and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and brush immediately with the melted butter and sprinkle with the caster sugar. Leave to cool on the baking sheet. Serve warm or cold. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
