Almond Puff Loaf Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball., Divide dough in half; shape each into a log. On a large greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, pat the logs into 11-in. x 3-in. rectangles, leaving a 4-in. space between pastries., For second layer, bring water and butter just to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Transfer to a small mixing bowl; beat at medium speed for 30-60 seconds. , Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Beat in extract. With a spatula, spread half over one pastry strip until the surface is completely covered. Repeat., Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Spread warm pastries with jam; sprinkle with almonds. , For icing, combine the sugar, vanilla and enough milk or water to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over pastries. Cut into strips or squares.

Steps:

• FIRST LAYER: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the butter, flour, and salt (if you're using it), working the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or fork, your fingers, or a mixer.
• Mix until everything is crumbly, then stir in the water. The dough will become cohesive, though not smooth.
• Divide the dough in half; if you're using a scale, each half will weigh about 4 5/8 ounces.
• Wet your hands, and shape each piece of this wet dough into a rough log.
• Grease a baking sheet or sheets that'll allow you to stretch and pat the logs into 11 x 3-inch rectangles on the sheet, leaving at least 4 inches (but preferably 6 inches) between them, and 2 inches on each side. These puff up in the oven (hence the name), and you need to leave them room for expansion.
• SECOND LAYER: In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil.
• Stir until the butter melts, then add the flour (and salt, if you're using it) all at once.
• Stir the mixture with a spoon till it thickens, begins to steam, and leaves the sides of the pan; this will happen very quickly.
• Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat it at medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to cool it down a bit.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat until the dough loses its "slimy" look, and each egg is totally absorbed.
• Mix in the almond extract.
• Divide the batter in half.
• Spread half the batter over one of the dough strips on the pan, covering it completely.
• Repeat with the remaining batter and dough.
• With a spatula (or your wet fingers) spread the batter until it completely covers the entire bottom layer of dough. Smooth it out as best you can.
• Bake the pastry in a preheated 350°F oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's a deep golden brown.
• Remove it from the oven, and transfer each pastry to a wire rack (a giant spatula works well here).
• TOPPING: Spread each warm pastry with about 1/3 cup of jam or preserves. (Any flavor is fine, but our favorites are raspberry and apricot.)
• Sprinkle the toasted almonds atop the jam. By this time, your beautifully puffed pastries are probably starting to sink; don't worry, this is all part of the plan.
• ICING: Stir together the sugar, vanilla, and enough milk or water to form a thick but "drizzlable" icing. Drizzle the icing atop the pastries.
• Cut into squares or strips to serve.

Steps:

• In a bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water and toss with a fork. Shape dough into a ball. Pat into two 12-in. x 3-in. strips, drop 2 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Set aside. , In a large saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Spread over crusts, covering completely., Bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until puffed and light browned. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, extract and enough water to achieve spreading consistency. Spread over warm puffs. Sprinkle with almonds. Cut into 1-in. strips. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Place 1 cup of flour in a medium bowl. Mix in butter using a fork or a pastry blender. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over, and stir with a fork until dough comes together. Divide into two balls. Pat dough into two long strips on an ungreased baking sheet, about 14 inches long and 3 inches wide. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of butter and 1 cup of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and remove from the heat. Immediately stir in 1 cup of flour until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Gradually stir in the eggs until well blended. Divide evenly, and spread over the two crusts on the baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 1 hour. Allow to cool almost to room temperature before frosting.
• To make the frosting, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon of almond extract and a splash of milk in a small bowl until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the Danish, and decorate with candy sprinkles if desired.