Almond Puff Loaf
"The recipe for this buttery, flaky, tender confection has been around for years and years but, like all fine classics, its beauty never fades. It's incredibly easy to make, yet tastes and looks as though a professionally trained pastry chef might have labored over it for hours. Hey, a little subterfuge never hurts any bakers' reputation!"
photo by Bonnie G #2
- Ready In:
- 1hr 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
16-20
ingredients
-
FIRST LAYER
- 1⁄2 cup butter (4 ounces, 1 stick)
- 1 cup flour (4 1/2 ounces)
- 1⁄4 cup water
-
SECOND LAYER
- 1 cup water (8 ounces)
- 1⁄2 cup butter (4 ounces, 1 stick)
- 1 cup flour (4 1/2 ounces)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, warm them, in the shell, in hot tap water for 10 minutes if they're cold from t
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
-
TOPPING
- 2⁄3 cup jam (7 ounces) or 2/3 cup preserves (7 ounces)
- 1⁄2 - 2⁄3 cup sliced almonds (2 to 2 1/2 ounces)
-
ICING
- 1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar (2 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 teaspoons milk (approximately) or 4 teaspoons water (approximately)
directions
- 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.
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Reviews
-
This was a hit with my family, the flavors were just what we were looking for. It was a hit with me for how easy it was and impressive it looked. Loved all the layers. Would be great for company and easy enough for every day family fare
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
The picture above is of my daughter and me, taken about 35 years after the photo she posted on her Zaar page (WeBees); I’m the one in the goofy hat in her picture and she’s the one on the left in my picture.
Most of my pre-married life was spent in Northern California in the San Francisco Bay Area with all the wonderful produce, sea food and wines that the region offers. Five of my teenage years were spent in West Africa with my family (medical missionaries). On our way back to the US we traveled extensively throughout Europe and after marrying my Navy husband, we were moved to Asia. All this said because these travel experiences greatly influenced my interest in cooking and willingness to try new foods.
I’ve been with Zaar for about two years and have enjoyed trying new recipes and learning about the person who posted it. There are some crazy, wonderful and talented people out there, not to mention knowledgeable and gracious. It’s been great fun participating in the “Tag” and “Swap” games.
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Like many other Zaarites, I’ve collected hundreds of cookbooks. My favorites are from places that I‘ve visited around the world as well as my first, given to me by my mother when I went off to college - “The Graham Kerr Cookbook” by the Galloping Gourmet. My oldest cookbook was given to me by my grandmother – “The Boston-School Cook Book” by Fannie Merritt Farmer circa 1896.
I’m an Interior Designer but also taught Weight Watchers for about twenty years. It’s tough loving to cook and bake and still keep at a healthy weight!
