Almond Pastry, with a Jewish Twist

An Upgraded Almond Pastry

What makes this almond pastry recipe stand out? The secret lies in the tender, flaky, and delicious cream cheese dough, the very same one I used to make these Crescent Strawberry Rugelach, and more. Yes, you can use store-bought puff pastry sheet and bake the classic Almond Puff Pastry, it will turn out delicious and impressive, you can even make a yeasted almond pastry using my Ultimate Babka Dough, or my Rich Brioche Dough. But if you want to take your bake to the next level, make this dough. It is fast, easy, flaky, but much more tender, and rich in flavor, not to mention the dough is easy to work with, and can be made up to five days in advance.

Make It!

The complete recipe is at the bottom of this post on the recipe card including measurement. 

This recipe consists of three main components:

1. The dough – A buttery, flaky pastry that provides the perfect base, make it up to five days in advance and refrigerate.
2. The sweet almond filling – A one bowl rich, almond-infused cream made in a short five minutes.
3. Shaping and baking – You can go a head and follow my written and visual instructions below to shape a pastry braid, or you can make individual pastry like these Triangle Cheese Bourekas, or these Rectangle Potato Bourekas. You can shape the pasty/pastries and freeze up to 6 weeks ahead. See my tips and instructions below.

The Pastry Dough

To make this dough we will use a food processor and very cold and simple ingredients, this is the secret to create airy and tender layers. To make the dough you will need only four ingredients:

• Very cold unsalted butter, and cream cheese both cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
• Unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Powdered sugar.

Make the dough

If you do not have a food processor, you can use a pastry blender, and a large bowl.

1. Measure the flour and baking powder in a bowl of a food processor and process the mixture with half of the amount of the butter. About 10 seconds, until the butter is the size of small peas.
2. Add the rest of the butter and the cream cheese, and process until you have a crumbly looking dough, that is easily pressed into a dough, and no dry flour.
3. Dump the mixture over a clean work surface and use your hands to press it into a rectangle disk.
4. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hours, or up to five days.

Make The Filling

For this recipe, there is no need for almond paste, we will use an Almond Cream, which, takes no time to make, all you need to do is measure the ingredients in a medium-large bowl and mix until cohesive. 

1. In a large bowl measure the almond flour, almond extract, sugar, egg, flour and melted butter.
2. Use a fork to mix util you have a moist cream.

Troubleshooting: Why is my filling too runny?

• When the butter is melted and warm, it effects the texture of the filling. Set it a side to set the butter for about 20-30 minutes.

Shaping and Baking

This is the fun part, and you’ll need a rolling pin, extra flour (to dust your work place) a sharp knife and for your toppings: egg yolk, and almond slices.

Assemble

1. Lightly dust your work surface and your rolling pin and roll out the dough into a 10x 15 rectangle.
2. Mount the almond cream at the center of the pastry, shaped into a 12×4-inch rectangle.
3. Line the rolled dough over a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Use a sharp knife to slice the sides of the dough into a 1-inch diagonally stripes, removing the first and last two.
5. Fold the ends over the filling then, fold each stripe over the filling in alternating sides. 
6. Brush the pastry with the egg wash, sprinkle with the almonds and bake.

Common issues and Troubleshooting

Yields

This recipe makes about one 8-10 inch braided pastry, and about 8-10 slices, depending on the size of the slices. 

Storing, Making Ahead, and Freezing

• Storing: Keep pastries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For a fresh texture, warm leftovers for 5-7 minutes in a 350F warmed oven.
• Making Ahead: You can prepare the almond filling and dough a day in advance. Store the filling in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before using.
• Freezing: Freeze unbaked, filled and braided pastries on a tray,  then wrap the tray with few layers of plastic wrap, top with aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 6 weeks. When ready, unwrap and allow the pastry to reach room temperature before baking. To freeze unbaked pastries, let them cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 5-10 minutes.