Creamy Almond Puff Bars Recipes

AWARD WINNING ALMOND DESSERT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F with rack on lower middle position. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
• Make the Crust: In a large bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar; using electric (or stand) mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together on medium high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4min. Gently add flour and mix on low speed just until combined. Mixture will be crumbly, so use hands to form a dough ball. Press evenly into prepared glass pan to form bottom crust (I use bottom of a flat glass cup to press down evenly.) Bake 18 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Remove from oven, but leave oven on.
• While the crust is baking, make Filling: In a large bowl, combine eggs, very-soft cream cheese, and sugar. Whisk together until creamy and no lumps remain (it really helps if your cream cheese is quite soft to start with.) Add almond extract and mix to combine. Evenly pour the filling over crust, using rubber spatula to scrape all filling. Bake 15-20 min or until set. Let dessert cool completely on wire rack.
• Frost the Bars: In a bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Whisk until smooth and no more lumps. Evenly frost over cooled dessert bars (be sure bars have cooled completely before frosting.) Cover, chill, and serve with almond slices on top.

ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and the almond extract and then mix until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
• Press the dough into the bottom of a well-greased 9x13 pan. Press with your fingers or a pastry roller to smooth the top of the dough. Using a pastry brush, brush a tiny bit of milk across the top of the dough. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and very lightly press them into the top of the dough.
• Bake for 18-20 min, or until just barely beginning to brown around the edges. Do not let the bars brown at all. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then cut into bars. If they are too soft to cut, let them cool for a few more minutes. Carefully transfer the bars to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
• To make the icing: Add just a tiny bit of milk at a time to the powdered sugar. If the consistency is too thick, it won't drizzle nicely over the bars. If it is too thin, the icing will just melt into the bars. If you are unsure, test a bit of it on the edge of one bar before drizzling the icing over the entire batch.

CREAMY ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• 1. Mix and press crust ingredients into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar for the filling with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and beat until just mixed. Pour filling mixture over crust and bake for another 15 minutes.
• 3. Combine all frosting ingredients with a mixer. Frost bars when they are cool and top with sliced almonds, if desired. Cut into 24 squares and serve immediately or serve chilled. Store in refrigerator.
• 4. *These bars freeze very well!

ALMOND PUFF LOAF

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball., Divide dough in half; shape each into a log. On a large greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, pat the logs into 11-in. x 3-in. rectangles, leaving a 4-in. space between pastries., For second layer, bring water and butter just to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Transfer to a small mixing bowl; beat at medium speed for 30-60 seconds. , Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Beat in extract. With a spatula, spread half over one pastry strip until the surface is completely covered. Repeat., Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Spread warm pastries with jam; sprinkle with almonds. , For icing, combine the sugar, vanilla and enough milk or water to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over pastries. Cut into strips or squares.

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.

ALMOND CREAM-PUFF RING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a cookie sheet, or use parchment paper. Using a dinner plate as a guide, trace a circle on the sheet.
• In 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil. With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir in flour all at once, until mixture forms a ball, and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat, and beat in the eggs one at a time, until mixture is smooth. Drop batter into 10 mounds inside the circle traced on the cookie sheet, to form a ring.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn off oven, leaving ring in for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on wire rack. When cool, slice in half horizontally, and place bottom ring on serving plate. Spoon Almond Cream Filling on bottom ring, then replace top ring. Chill in refrigerator.
• To make Almond Cream Filling: Prepare pudding according to instructions on package, but use only 1 1/4 cups milk. Fold in whipped cream, and 1 teaspoon almond extract.
• To make Chocolate Glaze: In a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, combine chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons milk, and 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup. Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Spoon over the top of chilled ring.

CREAM PUFF BARS

Steps:

• 1. Bring water and butter to a boil. Add the flour. Stir and remove from heat. Add 4 eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition. NOTE: The picture is before adding the eggs.
• 2. Put in a grease jelly roll pan or 13x9 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. If baking in 13X9 bake 10 minutes longer. Cool completely.
• 3. Beat cream cheese, milk and pudding mix together. Spread on top of cooled pastry. Top with cool whip. NOTE: I decided to add sliced fresh picked strawberries on top of the pudding/cream cheese mixture.
• 4. Melt chocolate bars. Drizzle over Cool Whip.
• 5. Jelly roll pan will be a thinner bar and 13X9 thicker more like a piece of cake!!!
• 6. Just to let you know. I lightly grease my finger tip and pat this in the pan! When this bakes it puffs up and does not have a uniform shape. Make sure that your cream cheese is room temp. and beat it with a little of the milk first to get it creamy. Then add the rest of the milk and pudding. Beat until smooth. I use a large Cool Whip and one candy bar is enough for me. I like the looks!!~

CREAMY ALMOND PUFF BARS

Steps:

• Cut 1 stick butter into 1 cup flour, as for pastry. Add 2 tablespoons water; mix with fork until ball forms. Divide. On large ungreased jellyroll pan, pat each portion into a 3x12-inch strip, spacing strips about 3 inches apart. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water and other stick of butter to a boil. When butter is melted, stir in remaining 1 cup flour all at once, and stir vigorously until mixture pulls away from sides of pan to gather into a smooth ball. Remove from heat. Add almond extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each into the dough until well incorporated and smooth. Divide dough in half and spread each half onto one pastry strip. Bake at 350° for one hour or until golden brown. Cool. Spread with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting, and garnish with sliced almonds. Slice diagonally. For Almond Cream Cheese Frosting: In large bowl, cream the cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar and almond extract. Beat until of spreading consistency, adding a little evaporated milk, if necessary.

DANISH PUFF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place 1 cup flour in medium bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup softened butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; toss with fork.
• Gather pastry into a ball; divide in half. Pat each half into 12x3-inch rectangle, about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil; 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 cooling rack. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, mix all glaze ingredients except nuts until smooth and spreadable. Spread over top of pastry; sprinkle with nuts.

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.