Almond Puff Pastries
My husband comes from a family of almond growers, so I use almonds often in my baking. These puff pastries have a crisp topping and creamy filling.
My husband comes from a family of almond growers, so I use almonds often in my baking. These puff pastries have a crisp topping and creamy filling.
- Carbohydrate 13.9526445742903 g
- Cholesterol 28.6066666666667 mg
- Fat 18.2182048070727 g
- Fiber 1.07174660640027 g
- Protein 3.71944094242639 g
- Saturated Fat 5.96968330599227 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (57g)
- Sodium 3176.86660470551 mg
- Sugar 12.88089796789 g
- Trans Fat 0.977908269436217 g
- Calories 231 calories
Step-by-step
- Unfold pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface.
- Cut each sheet into nine 3-in. squares.
- Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets; set aside.
- In a small bowl, beat egg yolk and water; brush over pastry squares.
- In another bowl, beat egg white; add almonds and sugar.
- Spread over each square.
- Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until well puffed and browned.
- Cool completely on wire racks.
- Split pastries in half horizontally.
- Fill with whipped cream; replace tops.
- Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
- Serve immediately.
Unlike a standard pie crust which relies on a dispersed fat distribution, laminated puff pastry uses alternating layers of dough and butter that vaporize during baking to create height. Understanding how these layers interact with a heavy nut topping prevents dense, soggy centers. When raw sliced almonds are mixed with beaten egg white and sugar rather than just pressed onto the surface, the protein matrix of the egg coagulates around the nuts at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This thermal setting action locks the almond crust in place, preventing the individual flakes from sliding off the rising butter layers.
Managing Moisture in Laminated Doughs
Baking these pastries successfully requires rigorous temperature management for the dairy components. Heavy whipping cream must be chilled below 40 degrees Fahrenheit before whipping so that the milk fat globules can efficiently trap air bubbles without destabilizing into butter. Once baked and cooled completely on wire racks, splitting the pastries must happen just prior to assembly. Introducing moisture from the whipped cream too early dissolves the delicate sugar-egg crust on top, ruining the textural contrast between the flaky pastry, the crunchy almond topping, and the rich interior.
- If the pastry dough becomes too warm and pliable during cutting, refrigerate the sheets for 10 minutes to resolidify the butter layers before baking.
- Substitute granulated sugar with equal parts fine baker's sugar if a smoother surface texture is desired on the almond topping.
- Ensure the baking sheets are adequately greased or lined with parchment paper to prevent the sugary almond overflow from sticking.
