Recipes for Shabbat

Almond Paste

By Eileen Goltz

Kosher cooks have always used nuts, in one form or another, in their cooking. Almonds and more specifically almond paste and marzipan have found their way into dishes that our ancestors created when they were living in such diverse locations as Poland, Italy, France and Spain.

Almond Paste is a finely ground mixture of almonds and sugar. Marzipan is a mixture of almond paste and sugar and sometimes egg whites. Almond paste is a subtle nut flavored ingredient used in frostings, fillings, cakes, cookies, breads, tortes, and all kinds of other delicacies. Marzipan is a stiffer, sweeter ingredient that is often used as a rolled frosting, and, after being tinted with food coloring, molded into a variety of shapes such as fruits, animals and flowers. The two ingredients are not interchangeable.

There are many stories about the origin of almond paste and marzipan.

There was a great drought in the area of the world we now call Italy and almonds were the only substantial crop to survive. Consequently, people learned many new ways to use and eat almonds. They made almond bread, almond pie, almond soup and almond pastries. People liked the taste of the almonds so much that the practice of using them in all types of recipes flourished even after the famine past. Travelers carried the almond paste recipe from one country to another and a taste treat was born.

Both almond paste and marzipan are available at most grocery stores. They keep well if stored properly. If you don't plan on using all of it right away you can seal it and freeze it for up to 3 months. You can make your own almond paste and marzipan but the products available in the grocery stores are usually more cost and time efficient if you only need to use a little bit. Almond paste should be firm, but malleable. If it becomes to dry to work with, you can microwave it for several seconds in the microwave.

The following recipes and conversion chart should get you started on you're your way to almond heaven.

ALMOND PASTE
1 pound almond paste = 1 1/2 cups
1 cup = 11 oz 1 oz = 1 1/2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon = 3/4 oz

ALMOND CRESCENTS (pareve)

Warm almond paste in microwave (about 30 seconds on low power) until pliable. Using a food processor or electric mixer, cream almond paste and sugar. Add egg white and salt. Mix well. Oil your hands lightly before handling mixture (the mixture is sticky, so hands may need to be re-oiled while working). Divide into 12 equal-size balls. Roll between palms into 21Ž2- to 3-inch-long cylinders. Roll these in almond slices until coated. Place on slightly greased aluminum foil or other nonstick baking surface on a baking sheet. Bend cylinders into crescent shapes. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes until crescents are cold. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Watch carefully during the last few minutes. Crescents should be a very light golden color. Do not over bake. Let sit for a minute and loosen from baking surface using a spatula. Cool completely before handling. If desired, dust with powdered sugar. Almond crescents will keep for a week in an airtight container, longer refrigerated. They may also be frozen.

ALMOND APPLE AND RAISIN ROLL (dairy or pareve)
It's simple to make a flaky and flavor filled dessert with frozen puff pastry and almond paste. The trick to working with puff pastry is to have the dough thawed enough to roll out, but still have a chill to it.

Thaw puff pastry sheets according to box instructions. Preheat oven to 375.
Place raisins in small sauce pan and just cover with water (for a more adult taste, add 2 tablespoons of brandy). Bring to boil and remove from heat. Cover and set aside. Grate almond paste into large bowl. Add sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Mix with fingers until well combined and crumbly. Add apples. Drain raisins. Add to apple mixture. Mix well. Carefully unfold one pastry sheet onto a lightly floured counter. With a flour-dusted rolling pin, roll into a 15" x 12" rectangle. Work quickly to keep dough cool. With short side facing you, brush 1/2 inch of edges with some beaten egg. Spoon half of apple mixture on bottom half of rectangle. Dot apples with bits of butter. Starting on short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place strudel seam side down on lined baking sheet. Pinch ends together and fold under to seal. Lightly brush top and sides with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Cut 4 two-inch long slits diagonally along top. Use remaining ingredients to make second strudel. Bake 35 minutes or until golden. Transfer cookie sheet to wire rack and cool for 20 minutes before serving. Makes 2 - ten inch long strudels*

*Only need one strudel? Wrap second with plastic and then with foil. Freeze for up to one month. Remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, lightly brush with egg and bake an extra 10 minutes, 45 minutes total.

OATMEAL ALMOND CRISPS (dairy or pareve)
These are very thin cookies that need to cool completely before they can be removed from the parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or greased aluminum foil. Melt the butter in a pan or microwave. Grate the almond paste into a medium bowl using the large hole side of a box grater or food processor. In the bowl of and electric mixer combine the melted butter/margarine and almond paste. Mix until combined into a paste-like consistency. Stir in the oats, brown sugar and salt. Mix until well combined. Add the egg and beat until well mixed. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets, leaving 3" between cookies. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden with darker edges, but not browned. Carefully slide foil or parchment paper from cookie sheets onto wire racks. Cool completely before removing the cookies from foil or paper liner. Store in airtight containers between sheets of wax paper. Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies

*Whole rolled oats may be substituted for quick cooking oats but must be finely chopped (not ground to a powder) in a food processor first.

ALMOND LEMON MUFFINS (dairy)
The sweet flavors of almonds compliment the tart tastes of lemons for a rich yet delicate muffin. While you might be tempted to make this muffin with an electric mixer or food processor the best results are to be found when you combine the ingredients by hand.

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 12-count muffin pan Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Using the large hole side of a box grater or a food processor, grate the almond Paste and then mix it into the flour. Mix well until all pieces of the paste are coated with flour (separating any pieces of Almond Paste that may have stuck together). Finely grate the lemon peel into the flour and mix well. In a medium bowl beat the butter, yogurt and egg until well mixed. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the liquid ingredients. Beat quickly, just until ingredients are combined. Scoop batter into muffin tin (an ice cream scoop works perfectly for this step) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden on top.

RASPBERRY ALMOND PUFF (pareve)

Preheat oven to 375. Have a baking sheet ready. Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin to 12 x 9-in rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise into 2 equal strips. Transfer 1 strip to baking sheet.

Microwave almond paste to soften slightly, no more than 30 seconds roll the almond paste out between plastic wrap to 11 x 3 1/2-in rectangle.
Remove wrap and then center the almond paste rectangle on the rolled out puff pastry sheet on baking sheet. Spread the top of the almond paste with the raspberry preserves. Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top of the preserves.

Fold other strip in half lengthwise. Cut slits through fold at 1/2-inch intervals stopping 1 inch from the edge. Unfold the sheet and set it aside for a moment. Moisten the edges of the puff pastry sheet with the almond paste and raspberry preserves on baking sheet with water. Make sure not to use too much water. You need just enough so that the top sheet of puff pastry will adhere. Please the sheet of puff pastry with the slits on top of the puff pastry with the filling. Gently press edges together to seal the top to bottom strip. Bake 25 minute or until pastry is puffed and golden. Cool 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Before cutting, dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired.

CHERRY ALMOND CUPS (dairy)

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and almond extract. Mix well. Beat in flour and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl microwave almond paste for 15 - 20 seconds. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the egg and mix it well. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Divide each of those pieces into 12 pieces. Roll into a ball and place 1 ball in each of 48 ungreased miniature muffin cups. Press in bottom and up sides of each cup.

Put 1/2 teaspoon of filling into each cup. Sprinkle with several almond slices. Top with a cherry half on each. Bake for 17 - 20 minutes. Centers should puff and edges should be a light golden brown. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. With the tip of a knife lift cookies from cups. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.