Scandinavian Style Almond Paste Recipes

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.

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.

EASY DANISH ALMOND PASTRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
• Unroll 1 tube of crescent roll dough and spread in the bottom of the prepared pan. Seal the seams of the dough to prevent from separation.
• Roll almond paste into a thin sheet, large enough to cover your cake pan. Cut edges with a knife or rolling pizza cutter.
• Combine mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup white sugar, and egg yolk in the bowl of an electric mixer; mix until thoroughly combined and smooth with no lumps remaining. Spread evenly on top of dough. Place rolled out almond paste on top of cheese mixture.
• Open the remaining tube of crescent dough, unroll it, and put on top of the almond paste. Seal all of the seams and ensure dough covers the entire top of the pan. Whisk egg white and use a pastry brush to spread on the top of the rolled out dough. Spread sliced almonds on top to coat. Lightly sprinkle remaining white sugar evenly on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar and water for glaze together in a bowl. Drizzle over the top of the cooled Danish and cut.

SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a loaf pan with wax paper, then spray with cooking spray.
• Place the butter into a heavy saucepan, and melt over medium heat. Allow the butter to simmer until foam rises to the top of the butter, 5 to 10 minutes. Gently skim away the foam and discard; pour the golden, clear layer of butter through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove remaining milk solids, avoiding pouring any milk solids left in the bottom of the pan. Allow the clarified butter to cool.
• Beat sugar and egg with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the baking powder and almond extract. Stir in the clarified butter. Pour in the flour alternately with the cream in 2 or 3 installments, mixing until just incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

SWEDISH TOSCAS (SWEDISH ALMOND TARTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream the butter with the white sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix in 1 cup flour and stir to make a smooth dough. Divide the mixture by placing even amounts into the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of each cup.
• To make the filling, mix the slivered almonds, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan. Stir in the cream, and 2 teaspoons flour. Cook and stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until it boils, about 10 minutes. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tart shells.
• Bake in preheated oven until tops and crust edges are light brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing the tarts from the muffin pan. Cool completely on a rack.

SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• Lightly grease bottom of small muffin tins. Can use regular size muffin tin, but will reduce the amount of tarts produced with no affects to flavor.
• Crust:.
• Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg, vanilla and flour.
• Drop a rounded teaspoon of crust mixture into each greased small muffin cup, pressing batter over bottom and up around sides, leaving inside hollow; a coating 1/4 inch thick.
• Almond Filling:.
• With electric mixer, gradually add sugar to beaten eggs, beating until incorporated. Fold in ground almonds (or almond paste) and divide equally over crust.
• Bake until set and browned at 325 degrees 25 to 30 minutes.