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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 20 |
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These are so good you can't stop at one! This is an all time favorite. I've had this recipe for years, don't remember where I got it.. Ingredients:
first layer |
1/2 cup butter -- cut into 1/2-inch cubes |
1 cup flour |
1/2 teaspoon salt |
1/4 cup water |
second layer |
1 cup water |
1/2 cup butter |
1 cup flour |
3 large eggs |
1 teaspoon almond extract |
topping |
2/3 cup jam or preserves |
1/2 cup slivered almonds -- toasted |
icing |
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar |
1 teaspoon vanilla |
4 teaspoons milk |
Directions:
1. FIRST LAYER: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the butter, flour, and
2. Salt, working the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or fork, your
3. Fingers, or a mixer. Mix until everything is crumbly, then stir in the water.
4. The dough will become cohesive, though not smooth.
5. Divide the dough in half. Wet your hands, and shape each piece of this wet
6. Dough into a rough log. Grease a baking sheet or sheets that'll allow you to
7. Stretch and pat the logs into 11 x 3-inch rectangles on the sheet, leaving at
8. Least 4 inches (but preferably 6 inches) between them, and 2 inches on each
9. Side. These puff up in the oven (hence the name), and you need to leave them
10. Room for expansion.
11. SECOND LAYER: In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and butter to a
12. Boil. Stir until the butter melts, then add the flour (and salt, if you're
13. Using it) all at once. Stir the mixture with a spoon till it thickens, begins
14. To steam, and leaves the sides of the pan; this will happen very quickly.
15. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat
16. It at medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to cool it down a bit.
17. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat until the
18. Dough loses its slimy look, and each egg is totally absorbed. Mix in the
19. Almond extract. Divide the batter in half. Spread half the batter over one
20. Of the dough strips on the pan, covering it completely. Repeat with the
21. Remaining batter and dough. With a spatula (or your wet fingers) spread the
22. Batter until it completely covers the entire bottom layer of dough. Smooth it
23. Out as best you can.
24. Bake the pastry in a preheated 350°F oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until
25. it's a deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and transfer each pastry
26. To a wire rack.
27. TOPPING: Spread each warm pastry with about 1/3 cup of jam or preserves. (Any
28. Flavor is fine, but our favorites are raspberry and apricot.) Sprinkle the
29. Toasted almonds atop the jam. By this time, your beautifully puffed pastries
30. Are probably starting to sink; don't worry, this is all part of the plan.
31. ICING: Stir together the sugar, vanilla, and enough milk or water to form a
32. Thick but drizzlable icing. Drizzle the icing atop the pastries. Cut into
33. Squares or strips to serve. Yield: 16 to 20 servings.
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