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Breakfast: Mrs. Westerman's Almond Pastry

Source of Recipe

Beat That! Cookbook


List of Ingredients

FIRST LAYER:
1 cup flour
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut 8 slices
1 tbl. ice water -- (1 to 2)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

SECOND LAYER:
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract

TOPPING:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons hot milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted


Recipe

FIRST LAYER: In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles cornmeal. Add the water and vanilla, and toss dough with a fork until it forms a ball. Divide the ball of dough in half. On an ungreased cookie sheet, with your fingertips, pat each half into a strip about 1 foot long and 3 inches wide. Make sure the strips are a couple of inches apart. Chill the cookie sheet while you start the next step.

SECOND LAYER: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bring water to a boil in medium saucepan; add the butter and stir the water briskly until all butter is dissolved. Turn heat down as low as possible. Dump in all the flour at once and stir fast and furiously until the mixture is smooth. Turn off the heat but keep the pan on the burner. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the mixture is completely smooth before adding the next egg. Take the pan off the burner and stir in almond extract.

Divide the egg mixture into halves. Spread each half over the unbaked pastry strips. If it's too stiff to spread easily, try wetting your hands and patting it into shape with your fingertips. Make sure to spread second layer right to the edges of each pastry strip. Bake the 2 strips for 50-60 minutes, until they are puffed and just barely brown. the top part will fall slightly as it starts to cool. Let the pastry cool while you make the topping.

TOPPING: In another medium saucepan, over low heat, cook the butter until it begins to turn a light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt, beating until smooth. Divide the topping in half, spread each half over the 2 pastries and sprinkle each pastry with half of the toasted almonds. To serve, cut the pastries into 1" slices. Recommended to cut on diagonal. Serves 10-12.