Almond Filling Recipes

ALMOND FILLING

Steps:

• Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. In a separate bowl beat eggs and mix together with milk. Stir into dry mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling. Cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, add almond liqueur and stir well. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap to prevent film from forming and chill completely before using.

DANISH - ALMOND FILLING

Steps:

• Put almonds, sugar and butter into food processor.
• Process until almonds are finely ground, scraping bowl as necessary.
• Add almond extract and 2 Tbl of the beaten egg white.
• Process until mixed.
• Stor in airtight container in the refrigerator until needed (up to 1 week).
• Bring to room temperature before using.

CANNOLI WITH TANGERINE-ALMOND FILLING

Steps:

• For the shells: Combine the flour, cinnamon, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Work in the lard and slowly add the marsala. Knead together with fingers until the dough comes together. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Form the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Set the smooth rollers of a pasta maker at the widest setting. Unwrap the dough and cut in half. Lightly flour 1 half (keep the remaining half covered with plastic wrap). Flatten the floured dough into an oval and feed through the rollers. Turn the dial down 2 notches and feed the dough through the rollers again. Fold the dough back to its original oval shape and repeat the process of putting the dough through the pasta rollers. Continue to feed the dough through the rollers, making the space between the rollers narrower by 2 notches each time, until the dough reaches a thickness of roughly 1/8 inch.
• Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Transfer the rolled dough to a lightly floured surface and cut out 4 or 5 rounds with a floured 4-inch round cutter. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet and keep covered with more plastic wrap. Roll out the remaining dough and cut rounds in the same manner. Gather the scraps and let stand 10 minutes. Roll out the scraps and cut in the same manner.
• Heat several inches of oil in a large Dutch oven until it registers 350 degrees F. Lightly spray the cannoli tubes with nonstick spray.
• Brush the bottom edge of 1 dough round with the egg white. Wrap the dough around a tube, overlapping the ends (egg white edge should go on top), and then press the edges together to seal. Make 5 more shells in the same manner (keep remaining rounds covered with plastic).
• Fry the dough on the tubes one at a time, turning with metal tongs, until it is one shade darker, about 45 seconds. Wearing oven mitts, clamp the end of the hot tubes with tongs, 1 at a time, and, holding the tube vertically, allow the shell to slide off the tube onto paper towels, gently shaking the tube and wiggling the shell as needed to loosen. (If you allow the shell to cool it will stick to the tube and shatter when you try to remove it.) Transfer the shells to paper towels to drain and cool the tubes before reusing. Wrap the remaining dough around the tubes and fry in the same manner.
• For the filling: Combine the heavy cream and tangerine zest in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
• Combine the sugar and tangerine juice in a medium saucepan and cook until deep amber colored. Slowly whisk in the cream mixture and cook until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool and thicken slightly.
• Combine the drained ricotta and cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer, add a few tablespoons of confectioners' sugar to sweeten, and beat until light and fluffy. Fold in the tangerine caramel sauce.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and fill the cannoli shells. Dip the ends in the almonds and chocolate and dust with confectioners' sugar.

SPECULAAS TART WITH ALMOND FILLING

Steps:

• For dough:
• Sift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; divide into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten dough into disks; wrap and chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled. Soften slightly before rolling.)
• For filling:
• Blend first 8 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely chopped. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Roll out larger dough piece on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to pan and press gently over bottom and up sides, pressing any tears together. Spread filling in dough. Trim dough on sides to 1/2 inch above level of filling. Fold dough in over filling.
• Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12- to 13-inch round. Using bottom of cake pan as aid, cut out 9-inch-diameter round of dough. Slide dough round onto plate and freeze 5 minutes to firm. Reserve dough scraps for cookies. Place chilled dough round on tart; press to adhere and seal edges.
• Bake tart until crust is brown, about 50 minutes. Remove sides of springform pan; cool tart completely on pan bottom. Maintain oven temperature.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough scraps on lightly floured surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2-inch gingerbread-man cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer cutouts to prepared sheets. Repeat, using all of dough.
• Bake cookies until golden, about 8 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets. (Tart and cookies can be made ahead; cover and store at room temperature 1 day or refrigerate up to 3 days.)
• Sift powdered sugar over top of tart. Place small dab of preserves on back of 1 cookie; place at top edge of tart. Repeat with more cookies, forming border around tart. Transfer tart to platter. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour.

DELICIOUS ALMOND BRAIDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place the almond paste, butter and sugar in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped. Add egg and flour; process until smooth., Place puff pastry sheets onto a greased baking sheet. Spread half of the filling mixture down the center third of 1 pastry sheet. On each side, cut 8 strips about 3-1/2 in. into the center. Starting at 1 end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling., Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely., Combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and almond extract. Drizzle over braids; sprinkle with almonds. Cut into slices to serve.

ALMOND CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups half-and-half, the almond paste, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Whisk egg yolks, extract, and remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half in a medium bowl; add one-third of the hot half-and-half mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour into saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Stir in butter, several pieces at a time. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
• Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form. Fold into custard.