Scandinavian Style Almond Paste Recipes

SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and almond extract; mix until fluffy. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
• Divide dough into 4 pieces, and roll each one into a log about 12 inches long. Place 2 logs per cookie sheet 4 to 5 inches apart. Flatten each roll by hand until it is about 3 inches wide. Brush flattened roll with milk and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. While the cookies are still warm, cut them crosswise at a diagonal, into slices about 1 inch wide. When cool, drizzle with almond icing.
• Almond icing: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cookies.

SWEDISH KRINGLE

Steps:

• To make Pastry A, drop flour, salt and butter into the food processor.
• Pulse several times, until crumbly.
• Pour in 2-3 tablespoons water; pulse until clumpy.
• Flatten: Turn out pastry clumps onto a sheet of parchment paper.
• Divide in half and shape into 2 logs.
• Roll or pat each log into a thin rectangle, each about 14 inches long and 4 ½ inches wide.
• Slide parchment onto a baking sheet.
• To make Pastry B, swirl almond paste in the food processor 1 minute.
• Set aside.
• Boil: In medium saucepan, heat water and butter to an energetic boil.
• Pull pan off heat.
• Immediately drop in flour.
• Use an electric mixer to beat smooth.
• Beat in almond paste, then eggs - one at a time - then extract.
• Bake: Spread half of Pastry B over one rectangle of Pastry A, completely covering A.
• Repeat with second rectangle.
• Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• To make icing, beat confectioners' sugar, butter and both extracts together, using an electric mixer.
• Add enough of the milk or cream to achieve a spreadable icing.
• Spread half the icing over each cooled kringle.
• Sprinkle on almonds.
• Slice crosswise on the diagonal into 1-inch thick strips.
• Enjoy.

MAZARIN CAKE I

Steps:

• Short dough: Cream butter and sugar, beat in salt then egg yolks, one at a time. Work flour in, wrap and chill 30 minutes.
• To make filling: Cream butter and beat in almond paste gradually. Add eggs, then beat until very smooth. Stir in lemon zest and flour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter the top and sides of an 8 inch springform pan.
• Roll chilled dough into a circle 11 or 12 inches in diameter. Press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of the pan without stretching the dough. Trim any excess extending above top of pan. Pour filling into dough and spread evenly.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan then remove sides of pan. Cool to room temperature and sprinkle with confectioners sugar before serving.

SWEDISH BAKED APPLES WITH ALMOND PASTE FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C /gas mark 4.
• Peel the apples and carefully core them almost to the bottom.
• Brush apples with melted butter, then roll them in the breadcrumbs; place onto a shallow oven proof dish.
• Fill the centres of the apples with almond paste; if you have any butter and breadcrumbs left over, drizzle the butter and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the apples.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until apples are soft.

SWEDISH ALMOND CAKE RECIPE (WITH ALMOND PASTE)

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Grease the cake tins generously and dust them with flour, then set them aside.
• Start with the almond paste by using a food processor and combining the almond meal, sugar, powdered sugar, and milk.
• Pulse to combine, then check the consistency of the paste. Make sure it's not too wet.
• Add eggs, softened butter, and bitter almond extract.
• Mix until you get a smooth almond cake batter.
• Spoon about 2 to 3 teaspoons of cake batter into each tin.
• Place the tray in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 or until the top has turned golden.
• Ground the cardamom seeds and combine them with 2 & 1/2 tablespoons of sugar.
• Remove the almond cakes from the tins carefully and roll them in the cardamom and sugar mixture.
• Serve and enjoy your Swedish almond cakes!

SCANDINAVIAN STYLE ALMOND PASTE

Steps:

• If you're using blanched almonds, you can skip this step. But the almonds have to be skinless for this to work or else the skin bits make it all gross and I'd rather pay $4 for a large bag of skinned almonds than $9 for blanched when I can do it myself. Anyway, blanch your almonds by placing them in warm water for 15-30 seconds so all the skin peels off.
• Pulverize the almonds in a food processor.
• Add the sugar, butter, and almond (or vanilla) extract. Keep mixing until smooth and perfectly melded.
• Store in a glass jar or strong airtight plastic container, you can keep it at room temperature for up to 5 days and freeze for about 2-3 months. (Providing it won't magically disappear when you and your friends taste it! lol) Yields about 2 cups.
• When you want to unfreeze it-- DO NOT microwave, transfer it to the fridge to thaw for a couple hours.