A great way to use leftover puff pastry!
ingredients
PUFF PASTRY:
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup water
2 sticks unsalted butter (cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
ALMOND PASTE:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg white
1 cup slivered almonds (to garnish)
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
directions
For the Puff Pastry: In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the water. Refrigerate until very cold, about 30 minutes. In the meantime, refrigerate the butter, flour, mixing bowl, and paddle.
In the chilled bowl, combine the cold butter and flour. With your hands, toss the butter in the flour until each cube is lightly coated.
With the chilled paddle, beat the flour-butter mixture on low speed to just break up butter, about 30 seconds. Add the water mixture all at once and raise the speed to medium-low. Beat just until the dough comes together in big chunks, then immediately turn off the mixer.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat together to form a rectangular shape. Roll out the dough so it is about 12 inches in length and 6 inches wide. Fold the top third of the dough over the bottom third and the bottom third over the top third, like a letter. Rotate the folded dough so the seam is on your left side and it looks like a book. Roll it out again so it is 12-inches by 6-inches and repeat the folding process. Repeat this step one more time, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For the Almond Paste: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, combine the sugar, almond flour, salt, cardamom, and butter and pulse until thoroughly combined. Add the almond extract and egg white, processing until creamy and smooth. Remove to a medium bowl and set aside.
To Assemble: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
In a small bowl whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon of water and set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 4×6-inch rectangles. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of almond paste evenly on to half of the rectangles. Top each rectangle that has almond paste with an empty dough rectangle. Slice the rectangles into 6 even strips. Twist each strip three times and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips until all are twisted. Brush the puff pastry twists with the egg wash and evenly sprinkle the almond slices on top of every twist. Place in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown and crispy, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Dust twists with confectioner’s sugar and serve.
Tip: Make ahead and freeze before baking for a sweet snack you can freshly bake when you deserve it most!
