Raspberry Almond Puff Bites Recipes

ALMOND & RASPBERRY CRUFFINS

Steps:

• For the pastry, measure 75ml just-warm water, add the yeast and stir it to dissolve. Measure another 75ml ice-cold water and add the lemon juice to it. Mix the flour and sugar with 1/2 tsp fine salt in a large bowl, then toss in the cubes of butter until coated in the flour. Splash the yeast water and lemon water over the contents of the bowl. Using a round-bladed knife, work quickly to bring the mix to a rough dough with lumps of butter held inside it.
• Turn onto a floured work surface, shape into a squat rectangle without kneading it too much, then wrap in cling film and chill for 15 mins in the freezer.
• Dust the work surface and pastry with flour. Roll the pastry in one direction until it's 3 times long as it is wide, or about 45 x 15cm. Try to keep the sides straight as you roll, and the top and bottom edges as square as possible.
• Fold the pastry over itself. Fold the bottom third up, then the top third down, to make a neat block. Turn the block so that its open edge is facing to the right, like a book. Press the edges together gently with the rolling pin. Roll out and fold the pastry like this 3 more times to make a smooth dough, with the odd streak of butter here and there. If it feels greasy at any point, or becomes springy, cover and chill for 10 mins before continuing. Wrap the finished dough and chill for at least 1 hr.
• To make the filling, beat together all the ingredients and season with a pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.
• To shape, put the dough on a floured work surface. Cut it in half across the middle and return one half to the fridge. Roll the other to a 30 x 20cm rectangle, then cut this into 3 strips, each 10cm wide. To create even more layers, fold each piece in half lengthways. Put a generous teaspoon of the almond mix at one end of the pastry, then roll the pastry around it in a spiral. Place, cut-edge up, into a non-stick muffin tin. Repeat to make 6 cruffins. Loosely cover with cling film. Can be chilled overnight. (You may have some filling left over, which can be frozen.)
• Prove the dough at a cool room temperature for 2 hrs or until the pastry has filled the wells of the tin. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Bake the cruffins for 20-25 mins until risen and deep golden brown. Remove and cool a little on a rack. To fill with jam, spoon the jam into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm nozzle, or use a chef's squeezy bottle. Push the nozzle into the middle of the cruffin and squeeze. Dust the cruffins with icing sugar and eat cool or warm on the day of baking.

RASPBERRY DANISH

Steps:

• Whisk together white sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of the raspberries and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and mashing raspberries with a wooden spoon, until raspberries break down and sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from saucepan to a medium bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, orange zest, cardamom, and almond extract with an electric mixer on medium speed in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• Place 1 puff pastry sheet on a floured piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Cut 10 to 12 (3 inches long and 1 inch thick) diagonal strips on each side, about 1 inch apart, leaving center 3 inches of pastry uncut. Spread 1/2 cup of the cream cheese filling in center (uncut) section of pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the top and bottom. Top with 3 tablespoons of the raspberry mixture, and spread raspberry mixture gently over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup raspberries.
• Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl. Brush exposed pastry lightly with egg mixture. Fold strips over filling, alternating each side to resemble a twist or a braid. Fold the bottom ends up to seal the filling inside. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry and the rest of the filling. Brush outside of each pastry with egg wash.
• Transfer pastries, on parchment, to separate baking sheets. Freeze until pastry is firm, about 1 hour. (To make ahead, wrap Danish in parchment and then plastic wrap; freeze up to 1 month.)
• While pastries freeze, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) with racks in upper and lower third of oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and puffed, rotating position of baking sheets in oven halfway through, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 5 tablespoons cream and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Drizzle over Danish and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

RASPBERRY ALMOND PUFF PASTRY DANISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Whisk the egg in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Add the flour, sugar, and salt, and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice and almond extract, whisk to combine, and then add the cream cheese, whisking until smooth. If you have some very teeny tiny lumps even after whisking in the cream cheese, don't worry, these won't be apparent once the filling is baked. Set aside.
• Gently unfold and roll out your sheet of puff pastry just to flatten and smooth it. Cut it into two rectangles, about 10 inches by 5 inches.
• Gently score around the edge of each rectangle, about 3/4" in from the edges. This will create a frame of pastry that will rise around the filling as it bakes.
• Very lightly brush the edges of the pastry with milk and bake for 15 minutes. The whole thing should get very puffy.
• Remove from the oven, and gently press down the center portion of the rectangles to form an indentation for the filling to go. You don't need to press down very hard, and no need to press it all the way to the bottom, because the filling will weigh it down during baking.
• Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly between the two pastry rectangles, and use the back of a spoon to gently spread it evenly.
• With about 4-5 spoonfuls on each pastry, dollop the raspberry jam across the top of the cream cheese filling. Use the back of a spoon to spread it out very gently.
• Bake the pastries for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the cheese mixture is set in the middle. I tented mine with foil after the first 5 minutes to prevent excess browning.
• Remove from the oven and allow the pastries to cool before glazing.
• To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, water, almond extract, and salt until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled pastries, and immediately top with the sliced almonds. Wait until the glaze has set to slice and serve.

RASPBERRY AND ALMOND SHORTBREAD THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
• Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.