Mandel Kranser Almond Crowns Recipes

MANDELHöRNCHEN (CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ALMOND MARZIPAN HORNS)

Steps:

• Place the marzipan, ground almonds, powdered sugar, almond extract, fresh lemon juice, and egg white in a mixing bowl or in the bowl of a food processor with the paddle attachment in place. Knead the mixture until it comes together in a thick and tacky, but not overly sticky, dough. If it's too sticky add a little more ground almonds and/or sugar to it. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes (This can be made days in advance.)
• When you're ready to make the almond horns, break the dough off into pieces and roll them into 1-inch balls. Then roll each ball into a small log, tapering it off so each end is a little thinner.
• Use a pastry brush to brush egg white all over the cookie dough.
• Roll each cookie into the slivered almonds. They don't have to be completely coated and keep in mind also that the ends will be dipped in chocolate. Bend each cookie into the shape of a crescent and place them on a lined cookie sheet about an inch and a half apart.
• The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees. Bake the marzipan almond horns on the middle shelf for 10-15 minutes or until the tips are just starting to turn golden. Remove and let them cool completely.
• Microwave some chocolate chips or chunks of chocolate until melted and then dip each end of the almond horns into the chocolate. Place the almond horns back on the cookie sheet or other surface to let the chocolate harden.
• Store in an airtight container for up to a couple of weeks.

MANDELBROT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In an electric mixer beat eggs well and then add and beat well the oil, sugar and vanilla. Sift together salt, flour and baking powder, add to egg mixture and beat until just incorporated. Add nuts and any other additions at this time, fold in but don?t over-mix. The dough will be sticky, refrigerate for a few hours or longer, if needed. Coat hands with flour and then divide dough into thirds and shape each into long rolls 3 inches wide on a cookie sheet. They can be left straight or shaped into half moons. Bake for 30 minutes or until a little golden.
• Remove from the oven, slice into 1/2-inch slices with a serrated knife and return to cookie sheet. Either lay them flat on the cookie sheet or stand them on their ends. They may be sprinkled with cinnamon sugar at this point. Return to the oven and turn off the heat. Leave them in oven until oven cools or overnight. The longer one leaves them in the oven the harder they will become.

MANDELMAKRONEN (ALMOND MERINGUES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, while continuing to beat at high speed. Combine ground almonds and cinnamon in a bowl and fold into the egg white mixture with a spatula. Add more ground almonds if mixture is too runny.
• Use 2 teaspoons to place little mounds of almond mixture 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and baked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

CHALLAH CROWNS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, sugar, and yeast together in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
• Whisk the water and honey with 1 whole egg, all the yolks, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl and pour into the well. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon to make a soft, shaggy, moist dough. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand, adding up to 3/4 cup more flour as needed, until the dough is soft and supple, about 8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball.
• Brush a large bowl with oil and turn dough around in bowl to coat lightly. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead briefly to release excess air, re-shape into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. Lightly dust hands with flour and roll each portion of dough into a 30-inch-long log. (If dough resists, then cover and let rest for 5 or 10 minutes before shaping). Spiral each length of dough around itself to form a coiled round loaf on the prepared pans. Lightly stretch the end of the coil and moisten it with water; gently press the end into the side of the round to seal the coil into a loaf. Press down on the loaves gently, cover with a kitchen towel and set aside until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Beat the remaining egg with a tablespoon of water and brush loaves evenly with it; sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired. Put the loaves in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 400 degrees, and bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the crown registers 190 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes.

KRANSEKAKE (NORWEGIAN ALMOND RING CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 2 sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, ground almonds, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add unbeaten egg whites one at a time, mixing until a firm dough forms. Knead dough for 2 minutes until it holds together and doesn't fall apart easily.
• Roll dough into 18 ropes the thickness of your index finger, each rope a little longer than the next. Shape each rope into a ring. Arrange rings on the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Watch smaller circles carefully, as they may finish baking before the larger ones. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Mix confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract together to make icing. Pour icing into a piping bag fitted with a small tip.
• Place a doily on a serving plate. Pipe a ring of icing as large as the largest cake ring. Place the largest cake ring on the icing. Pipe icing in a zig-zag pattern over the ring. Stack remaining cake rings on top, from largest to smallest, piping icing between each ring.

DANISH "MANDEL KAGER" ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the shortening, butter, sugar& egg.
• Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon& cardamon.
• Add nuts.
• Chill.
• Roll into 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Flatten slightly and decorated with an almond.
• Brush with egg glaze.
• Egg Glaze---------.
• mix egg yolks and water.
• Bake at 375f for 10-12 minutes.

ALMOND BURFI

Steps:

• 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, chopped finer
• In a heavy 4 quart pot, combine the sugar and water and boil together until candy thermometer registers 225 degrees F and a small amount of the syrup forms a thin thread between the thumb and forefinger when carefully sampled from the stirrer.
• Reduce heat to medium and stir in the almond paste with 1/4 cup Ghee. Stir in the rest of the Ghee in 1/4 cup increments until all of it has been absorbed. Keep stirring over medium to medium-low heat; the mixture will become a single mass and will roll around in the pan. If the mixture begins to brown, lower the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes porous and starts to appear drier -- this can take up to 10 minutes.
• Spread the mixture in an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan and press into 1/2 inch thickness. Immediately sprinkle with the almonds, gently pressing them into the surface. While still warm, cut into 36 squares or diamond shapes.
• Serve at room temperature.
• In a heavy skillet, over medium to medium-low heat, heat the butter until it is completely melted. Watch as the butter boils, first with large bubbles and white milk solids floating on the surface, then with only a fine white foam filling the entire surface. Stir occasionally.
• Soon, small patches of golden brown will appear on the surface, and the overall color of the butter will change from yellow to golden. Push aside the foam periodically to check the color of the sediment. When the sediment turns light brown, remove from the heat. (see note)
• Decant into a jar with a tight lid. Warm, if desired, for serving over rice.